Role in Politics
Like her mother, Priyanka's role in politics has been marked by ambiguity. While campaigning regularly for the Congress Party in Uttar Pradesh, she initially claimed to have little interest in politics. At a 1999 campaign, she said in an interview to BBC: "I am very clear in my mind. Politics is not a strong pull, the people are. And I can do things for them without being in politics"[3]. Nonetheless, the question of her joining formal politics would be bothersome: "I have said it a thousand times, I am not interested in joining politics..."[4].
However, she continued to regularly visit her mother's and brother's constituencies of Rae Bareilly and Amethi where she dealt with the people directly, a role she appears to enjoy. She is a popular figure in the constituency, drawing large crowds everywhere; a popular slogan in Amethi in every election has been Amethi ka danka, bitiya Priyanka (the clarion call from Amethi is for Priyanka [to stand elections])[5]. She is reputed as a good organizer, level headed, and is believed to be her mother's "chief advisor on political matters"[5].
In the Indian general election, 2004, she was her mother's campaign manager and helped supervise her brother Rahul Gandhi's campaign. In a press meeting during these elections she said that "politics is all about serving the people and I am already doing that. I may continue doing only that for five years more."[6]. This led to speculations that she may bear some responsibilities for the Congress Party in Uttar Pradesh.
Like her mother, Priyanka's role in politics has been marked by ambiguity. While campaigning regularly for the Congress Party in Uttar Pradesh, she initially claimed to have little interest in politics. At a 1999 campaign, she said in an interview to BBC: "I am very clear in my mind. Politics is not a strong pull, the people are. And I can do things for them without being in politics"[3]. Nonetheless, the question of her joining formal politics would be bothersome: "I have said it a thousand times, I am not interested in joining politics..."[4].
However, she continued to regularly visit her mother's and brother's constituencies of Rae Bareilly and Amethi where she dealt with the people directly, a role she appears to enjoy. She is a popular figure in the constituency, drawing large crowds everywhere; a popular slogan in Amethi in every election has been Amethi ka danka, bitiya Priyanka (the clarion call from Amethi is for Priyanka [to stand elections])[5]. She is reputed as a good organizer, level headed, and is believed to be her mother's "chief advisor on political matters"[5].
In the Indian general election, 2004, she was her mother's campaign manager and helped supervise her brother Rahul Gandhi's campaign. In a press meeting during these elections she said that "politics is all about serving the people and I am already doing that. I may continue doing only that for five years more."[6]. This led to speculations that she may bear some responsibilities for the Congress Party in Uttar Pradesh.
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