CNEW DELHI: With reports of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra shifting base to Lucknow, some leaders believe that she should be declared party’s CM candidate in Uttar Pradesh. The reports of Priyanka’s expected move emerged after Centre asked her to vacate a bungalow at Lodhi Estate in Delhi within a month.
Priyanka, the general secretary in charge of Eastern UP, has been quite vocal on social media against the Yogi Adityanath-led government. She has been targeting the BJP government over various issues including poor law and order, rising crime against women and misgovernance. She has also attacked the state government over the handling of the coronavirus crisis.
“The path for a national revival of the Congress is via Uttar Pradesh. The clearest statement of intent will be to declare Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the Congress in UP,” tweeted Congress MP Karti P Chidamabaram.
Rajya Sabha MP Vivek K Tankha said that Yogi government will now know what it means to have a strong opposition. UP party chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said that the state unit would want her to stay in Lucknow but the final decision will be taken by her.
According to her team members, Priyanka was already thinking of shifting base to Lucknow ahead of the 2022 UP elections. “The house of party leader Sheila Kaul has already been renovated for her. She has stayed there during her previous visits to Lucknow,” they said.
When asked about the possibility of her shifting base, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: “She will take appropriate steps. The powers in UP are unnerved at her persistent and fearless crusading for matters concerning the common man. If they think she will be deterred by this, they have completely misjudged her and the Congress party.”