Punjab assembly elections 2017: Why won't Priyanka campaign in Punjab?

Posters of Priyanka Gandhi are already ruling the streets of Uttar Pradesh. The same, however, will not be true of Punjab

Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday declared that Priyanka Gandhi would not campaign for the Congress in Punjab. His statement comes amidst reports of Priyanka Gandhi being the Congress' UP campaign's face. After years of exile, the Congress has a very real chance of victory in Punjab and it is being suggested that Priyanka Gandhi's remissness in campaigning is due to the percpetion that she is akin to her late grandmother Indira Gandhi.

Due to events during Operation Blue Star which eventually concluded with the vicious Sikh massacre, Indira Gandhi's name does not boast popular support in Punjab.

The Congress, however, feels that Indira's history with Punjab has nothing to do with Priyanka not being able to campaign in Punjab. "She has traditionally campaigned only in two constituencies. We want her to take on a greater role in the party but unless she assumes a larger role, she isn't compelled to. She has family and other responsibilites and may have conveyed to Capt Amarinder Singh that she won't be available to campaign in Punjab," said All India Congress Committee spokesperson, Brijesh Kalappa.

Refuting any possibility of discomfort to Priyanka in campaigning in Punjab, he said, "Indira Gandhi's history with Punjab has nothing to do with the polls now. Haven't Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi campaigned in Punjab earlier? It didn't make a difference. It won't for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as well."

OneIndia News