No clarity on Priyanka's campaign in Cong bastions Amethi and Rae Bareli

Local party leaders had said Priyanka would start campaigning in the VVIP areas from Feb 14

Congress strategists are still debating Priyanka Gandhi's role in the Uttar Pradesh elections, given the party's friendly fight with the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Amethi, Unchahar and Gauriganj Assembly seats. The SP has fielded Gayatri Prajapati in Amethi, Manoj Pandey in Unchahar and Rakesh Pratap Singh in Gauriganj Assembly seats under the Amethi and Rae Bareli parliamentary constituencies. The Congress, which has fielded candidates on all the 10 seats falling under the two Lok Sabha constituencies, is banking on Priyanka's charisma to swing votes in its favour. Local leaders also want her to campaign as she has maintained connections with workers and voters alike over the past decades. Party leaders had recently said she would start campaigning in the important pockets from Tuesday.  But sources close to Priyanka said her campaign schedule has still not been finalised and it was not decided if she would go alone or with her brother Rahul.

Some Congress managers would like her to skip the seats where the friendly fight would take taking place to avoid any stress on the alliance. But sources close to Priyanka argued this was a small issue for her.  Rahul might address a rally in Rae Bareli on February 18 and in Amethi on February 24. Sources said there was still time to take a call on her campaign role as Rae Bareli would vote on February 23, while Amethi would go to polls on February 27.