Congress workers demand Priyanka join active politics

A larger number of party workers waved posters, which read 'Priyanka Lao Congress Bachao' and appealed to Rahul Gandhi to take the initiative to bring his sister into politics

With trends projecting a defeat for Congress in both Maharashtra and Haryana, a group of party workers gathered outside the AICC office here demanding that Priyanka Gandhi join active politics.

This is not the first time that such a demand has been made but it has repeatedly been snubbed by Priyanka, who had even issued a terse statement sometime back asking people to eschew from such speculation.

Waving posters, which read ''Priyanka Lao Congress Bachao' (Bring Priyanka; Save Congress)', 200 to 250 party workers, a larger number of them women, appealed to party vice-president Rahul Gandhi to take the initiative to bring his sister into politics.

"We appeal to Rahul ji to bring Priyanka Gandhi into active politics of Congress at a time when the party is passing through tough times. She can supplement him in stopping the march of Narendra Modi," a worker said outside the party office.

Some of the party workers gathered outside said that had Priyanka been brought earlier and campaigned in both states, the Assembly election results in Maharashtra and Haryana could have been different.

Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) leader Jagdish Sharma, who led the group, said the successive defeat of the party in elections make it now all the more necessary to bring Priyanka into active politics of the party to better its prospects.

"Had Priyanka Gandhi campaigned for the party in Maharasthra and Haryana, the results could have been different. In Lok Sabha polls, there was a talk of Narendra Modi wave. At that time Priyanka Gandhi was given responsibility to campaign for Raebareli and Amethi and Congress won there," Sharma, who is the National Vice President of INTUC, told PTI.

He said Congress workers are "sad" with such results for the party and feel that it's time that Priyanka is given an important responsibility in Congress for which "Rahul Gandhi, himself should take initiative.