Priyanka Gandhi to fight 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Sonia turf?

NEW DELHI: Just a day after the political launch of Priyanka Gandhi, talk gathered momentum in Congress circles that her growing organisational footprint may culminate with her contesting the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 from Rae Bareli in place of her mother, Sonia, who has been forced to scale down her political engagements due to indifferent health.

On Monday, Congress officially acknowledged Priyanka's role in party affairs by crediting her with the successful conclusion of alliance talks with SP, which sources described as the precursor to her formal entry in politics.

Like senior leader Ahmed Patel's tweet in which he, in a first, publicly spoke of Priyanka's role in the deal with SP+ , Congress's reaction marked a radical departure from the coyness the party has so far displayed while discussing her political plans. The candour about her growing political role coincides with speculation about whether Sonia Gandhi will contest the 2019 LS polls.

"As far as UP elections are concerned, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi requested Ghulam Nabi Azad and Priyanka Gandhi for sewing up the alliance with a progressive like-minded party, and that was a role for which Rahul requested both Azad and Priyanka," AICC spokesman Ajoy Kumar told media.

Senior leaders said succession in Congress could happen at multiple levels, with Rahul's taking charge of the party coinciding with Priyanka easing into a formal role. It may happen soon after the assembly election results in five states are announced — with LS polls a good two years away. Sources said the decision to accord an official status to Priyanka's engagement with the party was thought through. The reason behind Priyanka's growing footprint, it is said, is Sonia's decision to have a withdrawn role. "It is a fact that Rahul's dependence on his sister has increased a lot. She is looking after many functions discharged by Sonia as also the back-end operations of Rahul's office," an insider said.