Will Priyanka Gandhi be the joint opposition candidate from Varanasi?

New Delhi, Apr 01: The contest in Varanasi from where Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is contesting is expected to be an interesting one. In the past couple of days there have been several indications that Priyanka Gandhi is likely to contest from Varanasi against Modi.

The speculation was triggered off after she told party workers that she could contest from anywhere. A party worker had asked her to contest from her mother's seat in Rae Bareli, to which she replied that she could contest from Varanasi as well.

The Congress has shown interest in her candidature, but realises that in order to put up a strong fight, it would need the support of the other parties as well. The party is understood to have reached out to the BSP and SP in this regard. If reports are to be believed then, the Congress along with the BSP and SP could field Priyanka as a joint candidate from Varanasi.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Modi had polled 5,81,122 votes. He won by a victory margin of 2 lakh votes. The Congress feels that it could reduce this margin greatly if a joint opposition candidate is fielded from Varanasi.