Priyanka Vadra picks Shiela Kaul's house as operational base in UP

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, while visiting the state capital Lucknow, is likely to operate from the house of her close relative and late Union minister Sheila Kaul. According to sources, Priyanka, who is very active in expressing her views on major developments on Twitter, will make Kaul’s house an operational base for political activities.

She had visited Kaul’s house, which is now lying vacant with no family members staying there anymore, during her recent visit to the state capital on October 2 to participate in Gandhi Jayanti march. According to senior party leaders, she had also spent some time there before embarking on the programme. 

The house will be checked for security needs

Sources have also confirmed that once Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra gets an operational base in Lucknow, she will be giving more time to Uttar Pradesh and will visit it more frequently. In connection with the same, a house hunt was earlier initiated for her in Gomti Nagar area of the capital. 

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Now that she has decided to use Kaul’s house as her operational base, the SPG would now examine if the address meets all the security needs since Gandhi is a Special Protection Group protectee. The senior party leaders also mentioned that a final decision on the issue of utilisation of the house as Gandhi's operational base, however, will only be taken only upon SPG's recommendations.

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At the time Priyanka Gandhi was appointed Congress general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, former party president Rahul Gandhi had said his sister has been given the responsibility as part of long-term planning.

When Priyanka was assigned the role in the state, Rahul Gandhi had said, "She hasn't been sent there for four months, she has been sent there with a larger plan. We will not only defeat BJP in 2019 but also win 2022 elections.

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On a related note, late Sheila Kaul was former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's maternal aunt and a sister-in-law of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Her house is located at Gokhle Marg in Lucknow, about three kilometres from the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters.

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(With PTI Inputs)