Priyanka Gandhi gets an office at Congress HQ, holds informal meetings

New Delhi: Newly-appointed Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has got an office, adjacent to the room of her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, at the party headquarters on Akbar Road here.

She will attend the first official meeting of the Congress party after assuming the new role on Thursday.

Rahul Gandhi has convened the meeting of all general secretaries and in-charges of various states to plan the strategy for the Lok Sabha election due in April-May.

Priyanka on Tuesday met a few senior party leaders from Uttar Pradesh and held informal interactions with them. Sources said that during the meeting, she discussed issues relating to strengthening the party in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

She has been given charge of the party affairs in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s stronghold Gorakhpur fall in the region.

She is also learnt to have discussed the party’s strategy for the area ahead of Lok Sabha polls during the informal meetings Tuesday.

Jyotiraditya Scindia is the new Congress general secretary in charge of western UP.

Priyanka, who was abroad when she was appointed to the party post on January 23, returned to the national capital on Monday and met Rahul Gandhi. She also met a few other leaders, including Scindia.

Rahul Gandhi has also called a meeting of state chiefs and Congress Legislature Party leaders on Saturday in the national capital to review preparedness for the general election.

Earlier, Priyanka’s involvement with the party was limited to campaigning in Rae Bareli and Amethi Lok Sabha constituencies represented by her mother Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. She also campaigned in 2017 assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, but the party did not fare well.