Priyanka Gandhi: Rahul feels I should fight elections

NEW DELHI: Denying reports of wanting to contest against BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Priyanka Gandhi on Monday said, "I have always said that my focus is on two seats of Amethi & Rae Barelli."

Stating that the decision to enter into active politics would be her own, Priyanka Gandhi said, "Rahul wanted me to contest 2014 elections. But, this is entirely my personal decision."

Keeping speculation alive on her possible foray into active politics some time in the future, Priyanka said that whenever she decides to contest, her family would whole-heartedly support her.


Apart from perhaps forcing Modi to curtail his national campaign, Priyanka's entry would have charged up the rank and file of the Congress at a time when a number of ministers and leaders were reluctant to fight elections of fear of losing (one senior Cabinet member is reported to have feared a rout).

Significantly, early this month, in perhaps the strongest push yet for bringing Priyanka to the forefront of the Congress, party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said that Rajiv Gandhi spoke to him about his daughter's political aptitude way back in 1990.

The comment immediately led a group of Congress leaders to claim, off the record, that there were plans afoot to bring Priyanka into active politics.

(With inputs from TNN)