Congress Leaders Want Priyanka Gandhi as RS Nominee from Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal: Four Congress leaders from Madhya Pradesh on Monday urged the party leadership to field Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from the state in the Rajya Sabha election.

Three Rajya Sabha seats from the state are falling vacant in April this year. One of the seats is currently represented by Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh, while the other two are held by the BJP.

The Congress is likely to bag two of these three seats following the party's victory in the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.

In view of the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls, Madhya Pradesh Congress leaders, including former Union minister Arun Yadav and three current state ministers Sajjan Singh Verma, PC Sharma and Jaivardhan Singh, urged the party to field Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from the state.

"Indira Gandhi was committed for the upliftment of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and women. Priyanka is following her footprints. Just as Indira ji brought @OfficeOfKNath (Kamal Nath) to Madhya Pradesh, it is time to bring @priyankagandhi (Priyanka Gandhi) ji to Rajya Sabha from the state," Sajjan Singh Verma said in a tweet.

Former state Congress chief Arun Yadav also took to Twitter to support the demand. "It is time that Rahul Gandhi ji once again be handed

over the party's command. It will also be appropriate that Priyanka Gandhi ji be given the opportunity to represent the Rajya Sabha from MP to give an edge to the ground struggle against the fascist ideology," he said.

Public Relations Minister PC Sharma said people see Indira Gandhi's image in her granddaughter and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

"Priyanka Gandhiji should be sent to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh, or any other state in that case. This will strengthen the party," he told reporters.

Asked about the demand, another state Cabinet minister Jaivardhan Singh told reporters, "We all will be happy if this happens."

"We will welcome this move as her leadership is not only required by the Congress but also by the country," said the minister, who is the son of senior party leader Digvijaya Singh.