New Delhi: Narendra Modi versus Priyanka Gandhi in Varanasi? While it would be a tantalising contest, for now the match-up exists only in a joke cracked by the Congress leader in Rae Bareli.
Gandhi triggered wild speculation across political and media circles on Thursday during her interaction with Congress workers in Rae Bareli where a section of the cadre urged her to fight upcoming elections from the constituency, which is currently held by her mother Sonia Gandhi.
Responding to them, Gandhi said in jest, “Why not Varanasi?”
Varanasi is the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Modi from where he will be contesting again this year. The Congress and the SP-BSP alliance are yet to declare their candidates against the PM.
Amid the ‘will she, won’t she’ debate on Gandhi’s poll debut, the Congress leader had on Wednesday said she would contest elections if her party asks her.
"If my party asks me to contest the polls, I will definitely do so. But my personal wish is to work for the party's organisation as a lot of work needs to be done," the Congress leader had told reporters.
"I have told party workers that it is very important you campaign properly this election. You should go to each and every house, and tell people that this election is to save the nation. Not Rahul Gandhi, but the nation should win this election."
She, however, said that no decision has been made yet, with the election just a fortnight away.
Priyanka Gandhi was earlier speculated to contest from Rae Bareli as she has extensively campaigned for her mother Sonia Gandhi there previously. But Sonia Gandhi has decided to contest the elections again, ending rumours of her retirement from active politics.
The Congress general secretary in-charge of the state's eastern districts kicked off the second leg of her campaign this week with visits to Amethi, her brother Rahul Gandhi's constituency, and is scheduled to reach Ayodhya, where the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site is located, on Friday.
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