Priyanka will decide future role herself: Cong

Priyanka's meet with Cong seniors had sparked a buzz on Tuesday

Priyanka Gandhi will decide her future role herself, Congress today said downplaying suggestions that she is set to play a larger role in the party ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

"I think this issue has been answered many times. A meeting of senior leaders was going on at Rahul Gandhi's residence. Towards the end of the meeting, a sister who often comes to meet her brother at his residence also meets party leaders out of courtesy. Nothing more should be read into it...," party spokesperson Randip Surjewala said.

"If she has come to her brother's residence and a meeting is going on there and she meets those leaders out of courtesy, this cannot be a matter of dispute," he said in reply to questions at the AICC about Priyanka's meeting top party leaders yesterday which sent a buzz in the political circles.

"Not much politics should be read into," he said. He caveated his response by saying that Priyanka is an "important member" of the Gandhi-Nehru family.

Asked whether Priyanka will be attending the January 17 meeting of the AICC being held here, Surjwala remarked, "This is a question currently hypothetical. Wait for the meeting to happen."

His remarks came on a day when Priyanka visited her mother Sonia Gandhi at the official residence of the Congress President 10 Janpath. They later went to Rahul's residence separately. Surjewala, however, feigned ignorance when asked about these developments.

A party leader, who declined to be identified, reminded that it needs to be seen that Priyanka had always restricted her arena to the two seats of Rae Bareli and Amethi and till date there has been no further participation.

At the same time, he made it clear that Priyanka has always chosen her own role and "we should leave it at that".

"We should let Priyanka Gandhi decide it. So far, she has been taking interest only in the two constituencies. She has always been very categorical that she will restrict her role to two constituencies.

"She has on date decided that she wants to restrict herself in guiding election campaign in Amethi and Rae Bareli like the previous two-three Parliamentary elections," the leader said, adding she had only "dropped by" at the meeting of senior leaders to chalk out the tour programmes of Congress President and Vice President.