Not joining politics; stop baseless rumours: Priyanka

Seeking to scotch the intense speculation about her taking up a significant post in the Congress party, Priyanka Gandhi on Friday dismissed it as “conjecture” and “baseless rumours”.

“The constant conjecture about my assuming various posts in the Congress party and the manner in which this issue is brought up at opportune moments is incorrect,” Gandhi said in a brief statement.

“I would be very grateful to all concerned if they desisted from encouraging such baseless rumours,” she added.

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Her remarks seek to put a lid on speculation that she could formally join the party either in the capacity of a general secretary in the Congress or the chief of UP Congress.

Congress spokesperson Shobha Oza had on Thrsday said that the party wants all three members of Gandhi family to take leadership role, lending credence to the speculation.

“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 (hum chaahte hain ki tinon party ki kamaan samhale),” Oza had said.

Sonia Gandhi is Congress president and Rahul is vice president.

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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.