Priyanka neither young nor effective, says UP minister

Uttar Pradesh's Tourism and Family Welfare Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Saturday made light of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's entry into politics, saying "she was neither young anymore nor effective".

In Etawah, the minister who was earlier the Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief and had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party later, said that people were intelligent enough to know who their real well wishers are.

Saying that Priyanka Gandhi, though already working for several years for the Congress, would not make much difference to her party in a state where Congress' organisational structure was in tatters. "People today are looking for development and leadership qualities and are no longer enamoured by dynasty politics," said the BJP leader.

She also trashed the speculation of the ruling BJP being jittery over comping together of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP).

Questioning the alliances between opposition parties, she pointed out how they were not even able to select a leader among themselves while aspiring to run the nation. "We have a prime ministerial candidate in Narendra Modi, let the Opposition come clean on who is theirs," she said.

--IANS

md/prs