Congress: Party wants all three Gandhi family members to take up leadership roles

Amid growing indication about a larger role for Priyanka Gandhi in party affairs, Congress on Thursday said the party wants all three members of Gandhi family to take leadership role.

Sonia Gandhi is Congress President, Rahul is Vice President and there have been media speculation about Priyanka Gandhi likely to take up a formal responsibility in the party as general secretary of the crucial Hindi state of Uttar Pradesh.

"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)," party spokesperson Shobha Oza told reporters. She was replying to a question about a poster coming up in Allahabad proclaiming that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would soon be joining active politics.

The remarks of Oza in the official briefing of the AICC comes a day after senior Congress leader and a Gandhi family loyalist Oscar Fernandes said yesterday 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 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)".