Amethi, Uttar Pradesh: Rahul Gandhi delivered a series of headlines today at a press conference in Varanasi, but brother-in-law Robert Vadara escalated into a twitter trend too today. Mr Vadra told reporters that though “this is Rahul’s time, Priyanka’s time will come later.” He was responding to questions about whether he anticipates his wife entering politics formally. He then also said that he would be open to joining politics himself, “if that’s what the people want.”
In the evening, his wife said the media had misunderstood Mr Vadra’s response, and that he is a successful businessman who is not interested in changing his occupation.
Along with Rahul and Priyanka, Mr Vadra is in Uttar Pradesh to campaign for the Congress. An avid biker, he jumped on a motorcycle this morning and led a bike rally on the dirt roads of rural UP.
Mr Vadra accompanies his wife regularly to the Amethi-Rae Bareli-Sultanpur Gandhi pocket-borough during elections, but usually keeps a low profile politically. He arrived in Amethi last night with his daughter Miraya and said he was lending support as a family member to take forward his brother-in-law Rahul Gandhi’s message. “I have come to share and take Rahul’s message to villages and every corner of the state”, he said.
Priyanka has been campaigning in the Amethi and Rae Bareli areas for the last three days. She too has laughed away the intense speculation over when and if she will join politics, underscoring repeatedly that she is here to help her older brother Rahul as he makes a bid to resurrect the Congress’ fortunes in the state. Rahul Gandhi is the sole scriptwriter of the party’s campaign for UP 2012. Polling in these areas will be held on February 15.
Mr Vadra says he will accompany his wife on the campaign trail but “I am not here to give speeches, I am here to work and get the message across to people who can’t be reached.” He nevertheless did address a rally in the Salon assembly segment of Amethi, which is Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha constituency. His daughter accompanied him. So is the Gandhi-Vadra Gen Next being readied? (In Pics: Robert Vadra, daughter joins campaign)
“I have my daughter here as well so I am showing her. I went to a few villages. I saw the change that has come about in the women folk. I have been here for 15 years and I was really surprised and happy to see the confidence in the women here. The self-help groups have done a great job. Each one is being confident. I want my daughter to see it, I wanted her to see at the grass-root level, how the change has come about,” Mr Vadra said.
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