In photos: Priyanka charms Amethi for brother Rahul Gandhi

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the general secretary for Congress party's east UP wing, took to the streets of Amethi to garner votes for brother Rahul who is seeking a re-election.

Priyanka Gandhi campaigning for Congress in Amethi, UP | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Amethi: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra walked through the streets of Chattoh village in Amethi constituency, speaking to locals, taking selfies and even eating a gulab jamun offered by a supporter.

The Congress general secretary for its east Uttar Pradesh wing was in the area to urge voters to choose party chief Rahul Gandhi over other candidates, including BJP’s Smriti Irani.

Amethi, a constituency that has traditionally voted for Congress, goes to polls on 6 May, the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Priyanka Gandhi told people that her party had fielded candidates either with prospects of winning or having the potential to damage the BJP’s chances. The BJP had won 71 of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

ThePrint trailed Priyanka’s campaign for a day. A look at the action, in pictures:

An Amethi welcome

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress general secretary for east Uttar Pradesh, is on a two-day campaign in Amethi, the constituency of her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Selfie style

Gandhi’s physical similarity to her grandmother Indira is a mixed blessing. While it endows her with some charisma, it also reminds older generations of the excesses committed by the late PM, such as the Emergency.

Meetha in Amethi

Priyanka, who joined the party’s ranks in January, is expected to draw considerable crowds and garner a sizeable number of votes for the Congress in Uttar Pradesh.

Making up for Rahul

Priyanka campaigning in Amethi also fuels the BJP’s charge that Rahul Gandhi has been missing in action in the constituency. Rahul is going up against union minister Smriti Irani.

Election heat

Though she was widely expected to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi, Congress fielded Ajay Rai for the seat. Hitting back at critics, Priyanka Gandhi said if she was scared, she wouldn’t be in politics. “I am in politics for good and will be there,” she said.

Back in the day

Priyanka Gandhi might be new to the party’s ranks but she isn’t new to the campaign trail. In 1999, she campaigned in Rae Bareli when her mother Sonia Gandhi contested her first election.