WHEN WILL PRIYANKA JOIN BROTHER RAHUL’S YATRA?

New Delhi: It has been more than 40 days since the start of Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra during which several senior and renowned leaders of Congress have joined this yatra many times. But till now Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has not joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Sonia Gandhi was not in the best of health, yet she became a part of this yatra in Mysuru in Karnataka. It was being said about Priyanka that she would join this yatra after Sonia Gandhi. Sonia had become a part of the yatra on 6 October and there was news of Priyanka joining the yatra the next day i.e. on 7 October. Later it was said that she would join the yatra on October 14 or 15. Thereafter, news came that she would participate in the rally which would be held in Ballari on the completion of 1000 kms of the Yatra. But till now she has not gone to take part in the yatra.

Interestingly, for Priyanka, it was being said that she would get the Congress contest in Himachal Pradesh. It was also discussed that in the absence of both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, she would be the main face of the election campaign in both Gujarat and Himachal. But in the last one and a half months after Rahul's departure, Priyanka has held only one rally in Himachal Pradesh. Apart from this, she did not participate in any political program. In Gujarat, BJP and Aam Aadmi Party have made a face-to-face contest in different ways, but no program of Priyanka has happened nor is it proposed in the next few days.

Now the question is, why is it that she is neither going for the Bharat Jodo Yatra nor is she campaigning in both the election states? Informed sources say that Rahul Gandhi's team does not want Priyanka to be a part of this journey right now. In fact, this visit of the Congress to the states of South India has got a very good response and crowds of people gathered in the three states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka and Rahul is connecting with people and he is meeting, communicating with people easily.

That's why his team does not want the focus to be diverted from him. If Priyanka Gandhi joins the Yatra, the focus will be on her and at least some discussion will revolve around her. Although it will be only a matter of a day or two because even if Priyanka goes on the Yatra, she will go for a day or two. But Rahul's team and Congress strategists are not ready for that at the moment. It is being told that if the party's yatra in Andhra Pradesh or Telangana does not get a good response, then Priyanka can join otherwise she is likely to be a part of it only after the yatra leaves from South India towards North India.