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Who is Priyanka Gandhi?
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is a general secretary for Uttar Pradesh in the All India Congress Committee (AICC), the central decision-making unit of the Indian National Congress, one of the two major political parties in India.
Gandhi Vadra is the scion of the politically powerful Nehru-Gandhi family that has dominated Indian politics for decades since before India attained independence from British rule. She is the daughter of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi. She is the sister of former Congress President Rahul Gandhi.
Political career of Priyanka Gandhi
In the first years of her political career, Gandhi Vadra played down plans to join active politics, but assisted poll campaigns of her mother Sonia in Raebareli constituency and her brother Rahul in Amethi, both in Uttar Pradesh. Her first firm step into politics was during the party’s campaign for the 2004 Indian general election where she reportedly held rallies in dozens of constituencies and forayed outside Uttar Pradesh for the first time.
Gandhi Vadra formally entered active politics when she was named the Congress party’s general secretary in charge of the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh on January 23, 2019. She was appointed general secretary in charge of the entire Uttar Pradesh on September 11, 2020.
The Congress will be fighting the crucial 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election under Gandhi Vadra’s leadership. She launched the party’s campaign from Barabanki on 23 October 2021. She is the sole face of the campaign so far and is likely to be the frontrunner for the chief minister’s post in the event the party comes to power in the state.
A section of the Congress party is believed to want Gandhi Vadra to helm the party one day.
Early life and education
Gandhi Vadra was born on January 12, 1972. She did her schooling at New Delhi’s Modern School and at the Convent of Jesus and Mary. She has a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi, and also a master's degree in Buddhist studies.
Personal life
Gandhi Vadra is married to Robert Vadra, a well-connected New Delhi-based businessman who has faced scrutiny over alleged irregularities in land deals with real estate developer DLF. The couple has two children—a son and a daughter. Gandhi Vadra is an ardent follower of Buddhist philosophy and credits Buddhist preacher S N Goenka for guiding her to practice Vipassana, a form of meditation that some believe allows one to attain peace of mind.