Priyanka made her political debut with a roadshow in UP

Priyanka made her political debut with a roadshow in UP

Guwahati: Congress General Secretary In-charge of East Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi has made her political debut with a road-show in Uttar Pradesh drawing thousands of people ahead of parliamentary election due on May.

Priyanka will also be its face in Uttar Pradesh that sends the highest number of lawmakers to the Lok Sabha and is currently dominated by the Narendra Modi led BJP.

Priyanka who resembles with her grandmother Indira Gandhi is known for her gifts as a speaker who is able to connect with voters and Congress believes that the eyeballs she's able to generate will turn into votes.

A supporter of Congress said that the coming of Priyanka Gandhi is like a comeback of Indira Gandhi and that they want Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister and Priyanka Gandhi as the Chief Minister.

Posters of Priyanka lined up in Lucknow and supporters of Congress accompanied her chanted her name soon after she emerged from the airport with her brother and Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Both the duo of brother and sister slowly moved out of the airport waving at the supporters to join in the 20km roadshow.

The officials of Congress hoped that Priyanka's entry into the politics will improve its chances across the state of Uttar Pradesh. In 2014 elections, the BJP has won 73 seats out of the 80 seats in the vast state of 220 million people.

But a string of BJP defeats in state elections late last year and rising discontent over a weak farm economy and lacklustre jobs growth have weakened Modi's position, which an increasingly aggressive Congress is looking to capitalise on.

While giving an audio message, Priyanka said that they can together start a new kind of politics.

Priyanka drew more than 42,000 followers soon after joining Twitter. She will spend three days in Lucknow meeting workers from more than 40 constituencies.

Priyanka's husband Robert Vadra has been questioned by the India's financial crime-fighting Enforcement Directorate since the announcement of Priyanka's entry into the politics. Vadra has been questioned for several hours in a case relating to alleged ownership of 174755016.89 rupees of undisclosed assets abroad.

From 21 seats in the 2009 general election in Uttar Pradesh, Congress' tally fell to just two in 2014.

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