Despite a severe drubbing in both the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, local Congressmen are still hopeful that the Gandhi family name and face can restore the party?s stature in the state. And that face is of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Hoping for Priyanka to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Rae Bareli, partymen are encouraged by Priyanka?s active interest in all party matters, especially in building the party organisation block by block in the constituency.
?Priyanka Gandhi has been coming regularly to Rae Bareli since November and has asked us to put the debacle in the Assembly elections behind us and work afresh with renewed gusto. She is also meeting grassroots party workers regularly and taking their opinion as to why the party fared badly. She is, in fact, working rather meticulously on grooming the party organisation. She has also overhauled the block and district committees and more than 80% faces in them are fresh ones. I believe all these are very strong indicators that this time she would be contesting the polls and is doing her homework well in advance, especially in view of the fact that her mother is undergoing some health problems,? a local Congress leader said, adding that it is also for the first time in many years that she has met old Congress workers who have now withdrawn from active political work.
?Only she has the political mettle and grim determination that one could see in her grandmother Indira Gandhi. It is only she who can now bring the party back from the brink. The humiliating loss in all five Assembly seats in the previous Assembly elections does not bode well for the party. If this trend reflects on the Lok Sabha results, too, it would be a disastrous blow. To infuse fresh spirit in the party, this is the most appropriate time for Priyanka to mark an entry,? said another old timer in the party, requesting anonymity.
?Though we are not sure about her future plans, we can sense the urgency and the command in her voice. In a way, she is trying to put the house in order before venturing out, and this is a very exciting time for us. Her charm and charisma are bound to break the jinx for the party, as she has an uncanny way of connecting with the people,? said another party functionary working closely with her.
However, KL Sharma, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi?s representative in their constituencies, denies any rumours of Priyanka contesting, stating that Sonia Gandhi would contest the elections from Rae Bareli. ?It is too early to draw any conclusion now. Prinyaka-ji is coming to Rae Bareli as she has an interest in building the organisation and has been doing this for both Rae Bareli and Amethi for many years now. Further, since Sonia-ji and Rahul-ji are busy, Priyanka-ji thought it wise to start interacting with the electorate long before the elections, so that she can understand the issues and deal with them accordingly,? he said.