Priyanka Gandhi Vadra named Cong Gen Secy for Uttar Pradesh East, may contest from Rae Bareli

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was appointed as the Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East on Wednesday.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took the political plunge on Wednesday, just a few months before the Lok Sabha election with Congress president Rahul Gandhi naming his sister as the All India Congress Committee General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East.

Priyanka Gandhi will take charge in the first week of February 2019. She is likely to contest the Lok Sabha election from the Gandhi bastion of Rae Bareli, sources told Zee News. The seat is currently represented in the Lok Sabha by her mother Sonia Gandhi.

Speaking on the development, senior Congress leader Motilal Vohra said, "The responsibility given to Priyanka ji is very important. This will not only have an effect on eastern Uttar Pradesh but also other regions."

The Congress also appointed Jyotiraditya Scindia as the General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh West and KC Venugopal as Congress General Secretary (Organisation). Venugopal remains the AICC General Secretary in-charge for Karnataka, a state the Congress is in power in alliance with the Janata Dal Secular of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Congress Lok Sabha MP from Guna in Madhya Pradesh and one of the architects of the party's victory in the recent assembly election in the state, will handle Uttar Pradesh West as the party General Secretary.

"Hon'ble Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi has appointed Shri K C Venugopal as AICC General Secretary (organisation) with immediate effect He will continue in his role as AICC General Secretary In-Charge for Karnataka. The note reads - The Party appreciates the contribution of Shri Ashok Gehlot as AICC General Secretary (Organisation). Hon'ble Congress President has also appointed Smt Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as AICC General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East. She will be taking charge with effect on first week of February 2019. Hon'ble Congress President has also appointed Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia as AICC General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh West with immediate effect. The Party appreciates the contribution of Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad as AICC General Secretary of Uttar Pradesh He will now be AICC General Secretary for Haryana with immediate effect," read the Congress press release.

Uttar Pradesh, the biggest state in the Lok Sabha with 80 seats, is likely to see a triangular contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, Samajwadi-Party-Bahujan Samaj Party combine and Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

Reacting to the development, BJP leader Sambit Patra said, "This is not a challenge for BJP. This was expected. It's family dynasty and reflects that Rahul Gandhi has failed. And in future, Robert Vadra too will enter politics. Only a Gandhi can become president of the party."