Priyanka Gandhi says she will contest from Varanasi against Modi if party wishes

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday said that she will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi if the party asks her to do so. Ever since she joined active politics, speculations has been on rife that Congress party may field Priyanka from Varanasi against Modi. "I have said this repeatedly that I will do what the party asks me to do," Priyanka Gandhi said, adding that people were feeling harassed and wanted a change.

The newly appointed Congress general secretary was on a visit to Amethi and Rae Bareli, represented by her brother and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi, respectively. 

Amid growing murmurs over the likelihood of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contesting the General Elections 2019, Congress leadership has chosen to remain tight-lipped on their stance and has been refraining from announcing its cadnidate for Varanasi, the eastern UP seat won by Prime Minister Modi in 2014.

Speaculations had been also rife that Priyanka might contest from her mother Sonia Gandhi's constituency - Raebareili, but the new generation Congress leader had teased her followers, saying "Why not Varanasi"!

In an interview with The Hindu, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi also dodged a question on Vadra's possible candidature from Varanasi, saying "suspense is not always a bad thing".

After campaigning for years in the Gandhis' pocket borough Amethi and Rebareli, Priyanka Gandhi had joined the Congress in January this year and was appointed as the party’s general secretary for the Uttar Pradesh East region, which includes Varanasi.