Congress leader see saviour in Priyanka Gandhi

In the absence of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is taking the lead in the party affairs. She also attended the Congress Working Committee meeting on Saturday.

On former Congress chief's absence, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "Rahul Gandhi is travelling and will be available for party work from Sunday."

And Sunday also happens to be Priyanka's birthday. She has been greeted by almost all Congress leaders.

Supporters of Sajjan Singh Verma, a Minister in the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh, published a newspaper advertisement claiming, "Indira is back". The advertisement carries photographs of late Indira Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi.

The Congress members are hoping that Priyanka Gandhi will help revive the party. "You are the hope, you have culture of the Congress, need of the hour," tweeted Pankaj Shankar, a well-known face in the Congress circle.

The UP Youth Congress workers also organised a "haven" in Lucknow for her long life.

Priyanka Gandhi has been spear-heading the party's efforts against the new citizenship law. She has visited houses of victims of the police atrocities in Lucknow, Bijnor Meerut and Muzaffarnagar.

She was the first Congress leader to reach AIIMS, here, where JNU students -- hurt in campus violence -- were undergoing treatment.

According to a senior leader, the Congress is expecting her to lead the party out of the crisis, when in the last two Lok Sabha poll it was limited to double-digit representation.

However, the recent poll success in Jharkhand and political victory in Maharashtra have enthused the party.

Rahul Gandhi quit the party leadership following 2019 Lok Sabha polls debacle. Since August, Sonia Gandhi has been navigating the party as interim chief.

Many in the party feel Priyanka Gandhi could be the answer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It's different thing that despite her extensive campaigning, the party lost all but one Raibareli Lok Sabha seat in UP. Rahul Gandhi also lost his family stronghold Amethi in the elections.IANS