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Priyanka chairs key Cong election meet New Delhi, January 7 In an indication of critical strategy shift closer to the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as the Congress’ prime ministerial candidate, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today chaired a key meeting of party’s top strategists at her brother’s official Tuglaq road residence while he was personally not present there. The meeting was attended by Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel, Congress general secretaries in charge of Organisation and Communications Janardan Dwivedi and Ajay Makan, respectively; Union Minister and Convener of AICC Special Group for Lok Sabha polls Jairam Ramesh; Rahul’s adviser Mohan Gopal, who chairs the Rajeev Gandhi Institute, and another Rahul aide Madhusudan Mistry, involved in the process of conducting surveys for picking candidates for the forthcoming General Elections. The meeting lasted close to two hours with top Congress leaders first dismissing the same and later downplaying it. Asked what should be made of Priyanka chairing a strategy meeting of top party leaders, Dwivedi said, “Priyanka Gandhi is a member of an important political family. She may not be seen as actively participating in politics but she has been an active member of the Indian National Congress for a very long time. She looks after Amethi and Rae Bareilley segments and has her own opinion on political issues. She meets Congress workers routinely and if she met some senior leaders on important issues, what is so surprising about it?” Congress leaders may play down the meeting in public by describing it as routine, but the fact remains that this is the first time Priyanka has engaged with Congress strategists. Given the timing of the meeting - just on the eve of the LS polls - it is natural to assume that election issues, including the projection of Rahul Gandhi ahead of polls, the process of ticket selection in a democratic manner, impending AICC restructuring the party's publicity strategy to connect to the people as Congress vice president Rahul has been stressing, would have been discussed. Considering Priyanka has been advising Rahul from the background (insiders say she played a role in drafting the emotional speech which Rahul read out after his elevation as party vice president in Jaipur Chintan Shivir last year), her open involvement in a Congress meeting ahead of the January 17 AICC session is significant.Insiders admit that the move could signal larger involvement of Priyanka in Congress’ poll affairs. Although she has only nursed the Lok Sabha segments of her brother and mother (Amethi and Rae Bareilley) so far, it would not be a surprise if she assumes a greater role in party's campaign strategy development. Jairam Ramesh, who attended the meeting, is closely involved with the publicity and campaign design of the Congress being convener of the AICC special group assisting Congress’ Lok Sabha election coordination committee which Rahul heads. A generational shift?
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