Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: Ending silence over the rumors of her joining politics, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday said that she will not be joining active politics.
According to reports, Priyanka dubbed the reports about her assuming various posts in Congress as 'conjecture' and 'baseless rumours'.
She reportedly said, "Not joining politics. This constant conjecture and the manner in which the issue is brought up at opportune moments is incorrect."
She further said, "I would be very grateful to all concerned if they desisted from encouraging such baseless rumours."
However, various Congress leaders, had earlier said that the party wants all three members of the Gandhi family to take leadership role amid growing indication about a larger role for Priyanka Gandhi in party affairs.
Also, there were media speculations that Priyanka is likely to take up a formal responsibility in the party as the general secretary of the crucial Hindi state of Uttar Pradesh.
"Everybody from all over India want that all members of Gandhi family should come in politics. We want that all three of them should take the leadership role in the party," party spokesperson Shobha Oza had said.
On Wednesday, senior Congress leader and a Gandhi family loyalist Oscar Fernandes had said that Priyanka should have a more active role in the Congress" and that she should take up an "important responsibility".
When asked if Priyanka's entry would not be treated as a vote of no-confidence in Rahul, he had said, "There is no comparison. Rahul is vice-president of the party, Sonia is president. Another member of the Gandhi family would
strengthen the party."
A few months ago, a top leader had indicated that Priyanka's role would not be of replacing Rahul but supplementing him in running the party.
A banner put out in Allahabad a couple of days back read "Congress ka Moon, Priyanka is coming soon (The key face of Congress Priyanka is joining politics soon)".
The speculation of Priyanka's larger role in the party was also interpreted in the media as "diminishing" role for Rahul, an interpretation, which was stoutly rejected by the party leaders in public.
With agency inputs
First Published: Friday, August 8, 2014, 19:25
