Newly-appointed Congress General Secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi kicked off the party's mega roadshow in Lucknow on Monday, 11 February, with party President and her brother Rahul Gandhi.
The approximately 20-km long roadshow started from the Amausi airport and will culminate at the Nehru Bhawan office of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee. Congress General Secretary in-charge for western Uttar Pradesh Jyotiraditya Scindia is also attending the roadshow. Priyanka is scheduled to meet senior leaders and office bearers of the party ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Snapshot
- Priyanka Gandhi kicked off the Congress’ mega roadshow in Lucknow on Monday, 11 February, with party President and her brother Rahul
- This is Priyanka’s maiden visit to Uttar Pradesh after she formally entered politics last month
- As the general secretary of east UP, she will be handling 42 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats
- Priyanka Gandhi was appointed in-charge of Uttar Pradesh (East) on 23 January
2:28 PM, 11 Feb
Hundreds of Supporters at Roadshow
In a video of the roadshow tweeted by the Congress’ Twitter handle, hundreds of supporters can be seen waving flags and chanting "Rahul, Rahul."
2:17 PM, 11 Feb
Robert Vadra Dedicates Status to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
Robert Vadra extended his best wishes to his wife Priyanka as she joined the “vindictive, vicious political atmosphere.”
In a Facebook status, Vadra wrote: “You have been my best friend a perfect wife and the best mother to our Children. I know, it’s her duty to serve the people and Now we hand her to the people of India. Please keep her safe.
Vadra is currently in Jaipur to face questioning in connection with a money-laundering case related to a land scam in Bikaner.
2:06 PM, 11 Feb
Rahul Gandhi Waves Cardboard Cutout of Rafale Jet at Crowd
During the ongoing road show in Lucknow, Rahul Gandhi, while on his chariot, waved a cardboard cut-out of the Rafale jet at the sea of people.
1:38 PM, 11 Feb
Priyanka Expected to Address Cong Workers at Lucknow's Lalbagh
Reports are suggesting that Congress scion Priyanka Gandhi is expected to address party workers at Lucknow’s Lalbagh. This comes after Priyanka released an audio message addressing party workers on Twitter on Sunday, the eve of the mega roadshow in the capital.
1:07 PM, 11 Feb
Priyanka, Rahul Gandhi Kick off Mega Congress Roadshow in Lucknow
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra kicked off Congress’ mega roadshow in Lucknow on Monday, 11 February, with party President Rahul Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Singh. The approximately 20-km long roadshow will start from Amausi airport to the Nehru Bhawan office of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee.
12:58 PM, 11 Feb
Euphoric Cong Workers Take to Lucknow Streets Ahead of Mega Roadshow
Congress workers all over Lucknow are taking out processions, chanting praise for their leaders, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi, ahead of the mega roadshow planned in the capital.
12:50 PM, 11 Feb
Priyanka, Rahul Gandhi Arrive in Lucknow Ahead of Mega Roadshow
Priyanka Gandhi and her brother, Congress President Rahul, and Congress General Secretary in-charge for western Uttar Pradesh Jyotiraditya Scindia arrived in Lucknow on Monday, 11 February, ahead of a mega roadshow planned in the capital city.
12:26 PM, 11 Feb
Congress Workers Enthused Over Priyanka's Political Debut
Priyanka Gandhi’s political debut has infused fresh energy among the Congress cadre, who feel that her, along with party president Rahul Gandhi, can restore the fortunes of the party in Uttar Pradesh.
12:09 PM, 11 Feb
Ahead of Lucknow Roadshow, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Joins Twitter
Ahead of her first roadshow in Lucknow, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra officially joined Twitter on Monday, 11 February. Her handle, @priyankagandhi, had acquired thousands of followers within minutes of joining.
10:49 AM, 11 Feb
Ahead of Priyanka's Roadshow, Congress Invokes Indira Gandhi
Congress has modified a bus as a special ‘chariot’ to be used for Priyanka Gandhi’s roadshow in Lucknow on Monday, 11 February. The bus features images of Priyanka juxtaposed against that of Indira Gandhi, a clear attempt by the party to invoke the perceived similarities between the two leaders among voters.
10:38 AM, 11 Feb
BJP Sees Roadshow as 'Chor Machaye Shor': UP Minister
Uttar Pradesh Minister SN Singh on Monday, 11 February, said that BJP sees Priyanka Gandhi’s maiden roadshow in the state as a case of ‘thieves making noise’ ahead of polls.
“They're calling this a roadshow, but BJP sees this as 'chor machaye shor'. The Gandhi-Vadra family is out on bail. They can't hold a roadshow but a 'chor show' (sic). People of UP, especially Lucknow, will come to see corrupt faces of those who looted Rs 12 lakh crore of this nation,” Singh said, according to ANI.
10:02 AM, 11 Feb
Banners Portraying Priyanka as Deity Seen in Lucknow
Banners portraying Priyanka Gandhi as Hindu goddess Durga were seen in Lucknow on Monday, 11 February, ahead of the Congress scion’s maiden roadshow since taking the plunge into mainstream politics.
9:25 AM, 11 Feb
Can Eastern UP’s ‘Bitiya’ Priyanka Gandhi Turn Cong’s Fortunes?
Congress’ decision to unleash Priyanka Gandhi, widely regarded as the party’s ‘brahmastra’, is a clear signal that eastern UP will be the main battlefield in 2019.
This is the turf of the BJP’s big guns. Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi lies here. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has reigned over Gorakhpur for five terms.
Few doubt Priyanka’s capacity to alter the texture of an election campaign. She first demonstrated her skill in 1998 when she stole Bellary from under Sushma Swaraj’s nose, to help her mother Sonia Gandhi enter Parliament for the first time.
9:06 AM, 11 Feb
Excited to Meet You All: Rahul
Ahead of the road show on Monday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi wrote on Twitter: “I’m coming to Lucknow... excited to meet you all.”
8:39 AM, 11 Feb
Latest Visuals from Lucknow Ahead of Priyanka's Roadshow
7:36 AM, 11 Feb
Congress Workers Plan Grand Welcome For Priyanka, Rahul
Enthused by the appointment of new leaders to steer them into the coming Lok Sabha election, Congress workers have planned a grand welcome to the party's general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and others when they arrive in the state capital on Monday.
Congress workers, led by UPCC Chief Raj Babbar, have made elaborate arrangements to welcome their leaders.
They will be welcomed by party workers and leaders at nearly 37 points in the city between the airport and the UPCC office, Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi told PTI.
Hoardings of Congress leaders have been put up along the route they are proposed to take. Banners on the route read, “Waqt hai badlav ka (Time for change)”.
10:45 PM, 10 Feb
Rahul Gandhi to Address Seva Dal Meet on 14 February
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address a meeting of the All India Congress Seva Dal in Rajasthan on 14 February, according to a statement released on Sunday.
The organisation will hold its 'Maha Adhiveshan' after 30 years and its volunteers will participate in the two-day event in Ajmer in Rajasthan on February 13-14, it said.
"The mega rally...will be one of the major highlights of the two-day Rashtriya Maha Adhiveshan. This rally will be addressed by the Congress President," it said.
"In this rally, the Congress President will guide Seva Dal members to build a strong Seva Dal to meet its organisational objectives," it said.
Many parallel conferences are being planned during the two days which include discussions on importance in imbibing Gandhian values such as truth, non-violence and tolerance; women safety and empowerment; and importance of the Constitution and constitutional institutions for good governance.
9:17 PM, 10 Feb
Priyanka Gandhi Issues Clarion Call for 'New Kind of Politics'
Congress’ General Secretary Incharge of Uttar Pradesh East, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has issued a message on Twitter, inviting the people of UP to join her as equal partners in a new kind of politics. This is Priyanka Gandhi’s first public message to people of Uttar Pradesh ahead of her rallies and public interaction.
Priyanka and Jyotiraditya Scindia will arrive in Lucknow on Monday on their first trip to the state after being appointed the Congress general secretary in-charges of eastern and western UP respectively.
They will be accompanied by Congress president Rahul Gandhi — all three visiting the crucial state for the first time after the appointments announced last month.
"I am coming tomorrow to Lucknow to meet all of you. I have hope in my heart that together we will start a new kind of politics, a politics in which all of you will be stakeholders — my young friends, my sisters and even the weakest person, all their voices will be heard," said Gandhi through the Congress's Shakti App.
Congress workers are planning a roadshow when the three leaders travel from the airport to the party’s state headquarters.
12:51 PM, 10 Feb
UP Congress Workers Plan Grand Welcome for Priyanka, Rahul
Enthused by the appointment of new leaders to steer them into the coming Lok Sabha election, Congress workers have planned a grand welcome for the party's general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, when she arrives in the state capital on Monday.
Congress workers, led by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Raj Babbar, have made elaborate arrangements to welcome their leaders. Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia will arrive at the Lucknow airport and will pass through the main areas of the state capital to reach the Nehru Bhawan office of the UPCC.
They will be welcomed by party workers and leaders at nearly 37 points in the city between the airport and the UPCC office, Congress spokesman Anshu Awasthi told PTI. Before reaching the Congress office, the Congress leaders are expected to garland the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on the route.
6:43 PM, 09 Feb
Hoardings Welcoming Priyanka Gandhi Up in Lucknow
Rahul Gandhi is likely to return the same day after a meeting with the state leaders, he added.
The UPCC office is being spruced up and new hoardings have come up all the way from the airport, welcoming Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Scindia.
A team of Special Protection Group (SPG) also visited the UPCC headquarters on Thursday and met senior Congress leaders to make necessary security arrangements ahead of the visit, party sources said.