First family in Congress bifurcates party work

NEW DELHI: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has raised the political temperature in UP by taking the Bharatiya Janata Party government head on over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and has also made a point in the state politics with her interventions.

She has submitted a memorandum to the UP Governor demanding a judicial inquiry into the police atrocities.

But the larger picture which is emerging is that the Gandhi family has tightened the grip on the party. Sonia Gandhi has held the fort in Delhi and is taking along the party veterans and strategists, who are more comfortable to work with her than the younger Gandhi.

She has drafted Priyanka Gandhi to UP, the biggest state in terms of Lok Sabha seats, and Rahul Gandhi is touring the country and has been kept in the loop on key decisions.

A senior leader said, "With Sonia Gandhi at the helm, the party has won Jharkhand and formed the government in Maharashtra. She knows the nuances of politics -- where to move and when to hold the horses."

The Jharkhand win is being seen as the outcome of seamless coordination within the party, with Sonia confidante Ahmed Patel making the strategy and younger leaders, like R.P.N. Singh, the state in-charge, implementing it. Both the younger generation and the veterans were fielded in the elections.

While Rahul Gandhi, with five rallies, was the main campaigner, Priyanka Gandhi also joined the campaign to enhance the party support base. (IANS)

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