Time to play on the front foot: Rahul Gandhi on Priyanka's poll plunge

New Delhi, Jan 23: Welcoming his sister Priyanka Gandhi's entry into active politics, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he was happy that his sister will now work alongside him.

Commenting on Priyanka's appointment as general secretary for Uttar Pradesh east, Rahul Gandhi said: "I am very happy that my sister Priyanka will assist me in UP in the Lok Sabha polls. she is very capable."

The Congress chief said he has "full faith" in Priyanka and party MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, whom he described as a "dynamic leader". "I have full faith that they (Priyanka and Scindia) will work together and what Uttar Pradesh and its youth needs, the Congress will fulfil them," he told reporters.

"We will not play on the backfoot anywhere. Be it Uttar Pradesh or Gujarat. Our aim is to defeat BJP. This move will create a positive environment in UP politics," he added.

Priyanka was appointed as general secretary of Uttar Pradesh East. She will take charge in the second week of February. Scindia, meanwhile, has been made in-charge of Uttar Pradesh West with immediate effect.

She is the last one in the fourth generation of Nehru-Gandhi family, after her brother Rahul Gandhi and cousin Varun Gandhi, to step into the political arena.

With the upcoming 2019 General Elections, Priyanka has her work cut out for her. In Eastern UP, she has been given a tough front to hold as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency Varanasi falls in this region. Being one of the bigger states, Uttar Pradesh holds 80 Lok Sabha seats, which will be crucial in deciding who takes the cake in the elections scheduled for April 2019.