New Delhi: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will lead the Gujarat poll campaign as Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra, is likely to skip the western state, a state Congress leader informed on Saturday.
“We have urged Priyanka Ji to campaign in Gujarat. Her schedule is being worked out. Rahul Ji is busy with the yatra,” former Gujarat Congress chief Bharat Sinh Solanki told ETV Bharat.
Priyanka Gandhi, earlier this year, led the 2022 Uttar Pradesh poll campaign as AICC in charge of the state. The party could however claim only two out of the total 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh.
In 2017, Congress had seven MLAs in the state. Despite party managers arguing that she had led campaigns against the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh over issues such as justice for Dalits, crimes against women, issues of sugarcane farmers, and unemployment, the grand old party was unable to mobilize support owing to a weak organization.
In Gujarat, on the other hand, Rahul Gandhi had led the charge for Congress the same year, which resulted in the party improving its tally by securing 77 out of 182 seats in the Western state. “In 2017, we were able to bring the BJP down to double digits. We will defeat them this time,” former CLP leader Paresh Dhanani said.
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In 2022, Congress is betting big time on the western state where it wants to dislodge the BJP which has been in power for the past 27 years. Keeping the big challenge in mind, Rahul had started visiting the state a few months ago when he highlighted the plight of the tribals and announced a development plan for them if the party was voted to power. He had addressed a big rally at Dahod on May 10 to flag the issues of forest dwellers.
However, since September 7 Rahul got busy with the nationwide Bharat Jodo Yatra and may not be able to devote as much time to an aggressive campaign as he could do five years ago the poll-bound state party insiders said.
Gujarat has not been included in the national yatra route as it was thought that the foot march would distract the state organization from campaigning. It was further not possible for Rahul to reach the state within 90 days of the commencement of the foot march, which kicked off in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari on May 7.
As the entire focus of the party managers shifted to the yatra, which is drawing a huge public response, sources informed that it was felt the Gujarat task was not getting proper attention. In an attempt to counter that sentiment, Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh reached Ahmedabad on Saturday to review poll preparations.
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“Though the physical walking began in Kanyakumari, the yatra actually started from Gujarat when Rahul Gandhi visited the state on Sep 5 and paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram,” Ramesh said. “The yatra could not have started without the blessings of Gujarat and Gandhiji,” he added.
Rahul’s preoccupation with the mass contact program has shifted the responsibility of the Gujarat campaign to Priyanka though party insiders said if the state unit would request for the Wayanad MP, he would try to find time for a rally.
