‘My best wishes to you P’: Robert Vadra dedicates Facebook post to wife Priyanka

As Priyanka Gandhi Vadra makes her political debut with a grand roadshow in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow, husband Robert Vadra dedicated a heart-felt post on Facebook for his ‘perfect wife.’ “My Best wishes to you P, on your new journey in Uttar Pradesh and serving the people of India,” the post read. “You have been my best friend, perfect wife and the best mother to our children,” Vadra said. He also remarked on current political environment. “There is a very vindictive and vicious political atmosphere …But I know, it’s her duty to serve the people. Now we hand her to the people of India. Please keep her safe,” Vadra’s Facebook post added.

This is not the first time Vadra wrote a Facebook post for his wife. "Congratulations P. Always by your side in every phase of your life. Give it your best," he posted on Facebook with a photo of his wife when she was inducted in the Congress as General Secretary (UP East). Priyanka, who is known to have had a say in formalising election strategies and candidates' list of the party in previous elections, made her political debut with grand roadshow in Lucknow on Monday.

On Sunday, Priyanka released a n audio message saying, "I am coming to Lucknow tomorrow, I wish that together we'll begin a new politics and you be a part of it. Youth, women and marginalised, everyone's voices will be heard. Let's establish a new future and politics."

Priyanka Gandhi Vdra, 47, and Jyotiraditya Scindia, 48, took charge as AICC general secretary UP East and UP West respectively last week. Her formal entry into politics and being given the charge of Uttar Pradesh assumes significance as the state, where 80 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats are at stake, plays a crucial role in the formation of the central government.

In boosting the party's prospects, Priyanka's challenge will involve taking on two formidable political formations - BJP-led NDA and SP-BSP alliance.

About 42 Lok Sabha seats fall in the region whose charge will be under her. The major constituencies that fall in the region under her charge include Varanasi, Amethi, Rae Bareli, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Azamgarh, Deoria, Basti, Allahabad and Chandauli.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress could win only two seats in the state -- Amethi and Rae Bareli seats -- while the BJP won 71 seats, its ally Apna Dal got 2 and Samajwadi Party bagged 5 seats. Not just the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress challenge fell flat even in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections for which Rahul Gandhi had formed an alliance with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.

The BJP heavily dominated the results with as many as 312 out of 403 Assembly seats, while the Congress and SP alliance won a total of 54 seats.

In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had 22 seats, most of them from the eastern region.