Priyanka Gandhi fails to make impact in UP

Priyanka Gandhi

Priyanka Gandhi campaigned aggressively for Congress in 26 out of a total of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh but has failed to make an impact.

She addressed 33 public meetings while campaigning in parliamentary constituencies including Amethi, Raebareli, Varanasi, Saharanpur, Bijnor, Ghaziabad, Fatehpur Sikri, Bahraich, Dhaurahra, Barabanki, Kanpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Mirzapur, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Domariyaganj, Maharajganj, and Fatehpur.

Her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi is trailing behind BJP nominee Smriti Irani in Amethi by over 11,000 votes.

However, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is leading in Raebareli.

In Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ahead of Samajwadi candidate Shalini Yadav by a margin of over 1.8 lakh votes.

The Congress strategy to field SP and BSP turncoats apparently dented the prospects of SP-BSP-RLD alliance candidates. Her statement of cutting into BJP votes is also being seen as having benefited BJP.

Priyanka Gandhi was appointed the general secretary in-charge of eastern UP on January 23. She remained dormant for over a month till her Ganga Yatra started in March from Prayagraj to Varanasi.

Earlier in the day, party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met Rahul Gandhi at his residence.

Even Priyanka's formal entry into politics could not act as a saving grace for the Congress. She was made in-charge of the party's fortunes in eastern Uttar Pradesh, but despite her high-octane election campaign Congress is ahead on just one seat- her mother Sonia Gandhi from Raebareli.

Rahul Gandhi is facing a tough battle in Amethi as BJP rival Smriti Irani is leading from the seat, though by a slim margin. However, he is leading from Kerala's Wayanad.

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Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from Agencies