Embarking upon the ‘Ganga Yatra’ from Prayagraj, AICC General secretary incharge for Uttar Pradesh east, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday walked down her memory lane and reminisced the time she had spent here with her late grandmother and erstwhile Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
In a post on social media, Priyanka said, ‘sitting in Swaraj bhawan, I can clearly see the room where my grandmother was born. Sitting here, my grandmother used to tell me stories of the John of Arc while putting me to sleep. Even today, her words ring in my heart. She used to tell me ‘Be fearless and everything will be fine.’
She embarked upon her three-day Ganga yatra, a boat ride on a 140-kilometre stretch of the Ganga river between the Prayagraj and Mirzapur districts, where she will meet the communities living by the river and seek support for the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Priyanka landed in Lucknow on Sunday and reached Prayagraj on Monday evening.
It is her second visit after being appointed as party’s general secretary. She is likely to spend four days in the state. Ahead of the Yatra, Priyanka on Sunday said she was looking to bring about a political change in Uttar Pradesh with help of people of the state.
In a letter to people of Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka said, ‘Congress president Rahul Gandhi has given me the responsibility of the party in East Uttar Pradesh. I have an old connection with people of Uttar Pradesh. It is my duty as a Congress worker to bring about a political change in Uttar Pradesh with your help.’
Expressing sadness that in the race for electoral arithmetic, the concerns of youth, women, farmers and labourers do not find a voice in the policies of the state, Priyanka said, ‘in the current state of politics in the state, youth, women, farmers and labourers are under stress and want to share their pains. I feel that no political change in the state is possible without listening to your views and sharing your concerns. So, I’m coming to your door to have an honest dialogue.’
‘I want to assure you that after listening to your views, we will bring a political change in the state on the foundation of truth. We will move together towards resolution of your problems,’she said. The Congress leader will try to turn the boat ride into an electoral opportunity as she would interact with electorally significant communities who live by the river.
