Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra dropped a bombshell this morning – that she could be her party’s chief ministerial candidate for next month’s Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was releasing a manifesto outlining job creation plans for the youth of UP, was asked about speculation over the Congress’ chief ministerial candidate for this election, given the BJP will line up behind Yogi Adityanath and the Samajwadi Party is led by Akhilesh Yadav.
“Do you see any other face in the UP Congress party? Then?” Priyanka replied, sparking speculation that she – who has so far stayed away from electoral politics, is now ready.
When pressed, she just said: “You can see my face, can’t you?”
There is no confirmation, as yet, about Priyanka’s poll debut, but it is important to note that she does not have to contest (and win) an Assembly seat to become Chief Minister.
Neither Yogi Adityanath nor Akhilesh Yadav has ever contested a state election, although that will change this year, with Adityanath standing from Gorakhpur and Yadav from Karhal.
Yet both became chief ministers after winning a seat in the UP Legislative Council.
Such an option remains open for Priyanka, who also batted away from tantalising questions about a post-poll alliance to ensure the BJP does not retain power in Uttar Pradesh.
Back in 2019, ahead of the Lok Sabha election, Priyanka told reporters she was ready to contest “if (my) party wants (me to)”. That was when she had been appointed as the party’s in-charge for eastern Uttar Pradesh, leading to buzz she could contest from Rae Bareli.
But her reply to a follow-up was striking; “why not” she said when asked if she wanted to contest.
That was the first time she indicated she was open to fighting an election.
Today she did, however, have a word of caution for any potential allies (most likely to be Mr Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, although she did not offer names) about development for women and youth as the cornerstone of the Congress’ poll promises.
“If such circumstances arise, and in the event they do, we would be open to considering that. I would say that if such a situation arises, we would want out agenda – for women and youth – to be fulfilled in any such dispensation,” she said.
With inputs from NDTV