New Delhi, Delhi, India
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took Lucknow by storm Monday afternoon.
The recently-appointed Congress general secretary of eastern Uttar Pradesh, accompanied by her brother and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, and Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia and Raj Babbar, held a 20-kilometre roadshow in the Uttar Pradesh capital on Monday.
UP is the country's most important state politically â sending 80 members to the Lok Sabha.
On Monday, Priyanka and the other Congress leaders rode out of the Lucknow airport on an open-top bus.
"It's like Indira Gandhi has come back," Reuters reported Fuzail Ahmed Khan, 45, a Congress supporter as saying. "The state's farmers want Rahul Gandhi to be prime minister, Priyanka to be chief minister."
As Priyanka's cavalcade rolled through the streets of Lucknow, Congress workers showered rose petals and threw marigold garlands at her.
Some posters showed Priyanka Gandhi as Goddess Durga on a lion.
#Visuals from Congress' roadshow in Lucknow. General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh West Jyotiraditya Scindia and party President Rahul Gandhi are crossing Transport Nagar pic.twitter.com/MbKZc4fNnF
â ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2019
#WATCH: Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia sit down to avoid overhanging electrical wires during their roadshow in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/1lVmDMOyrV
â ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2019
#Visuals from the roadshow of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/J7aZUJc5Dw
â ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2019
"Maa Durga ka roop behen Priyankaji (Sister Priyanka is Maa Durga's incarnation)," read a poster. Another highlighted her resemblance with her grandmother Indira Gandhi.
"I hope that we can together start a new kind of politics," Priyanka said in an audio message shared by Congress.
Priyanka has helped manage elections for her brother Rahul and her mother, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, but has never held an official party post up until now.
"We'll play on front foot. Scindia ji, Priyanka ji and I won't rest until a government of Congress' ideology is formed here," Rahul said addressing the crowd.
Lucknow: Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra & Congress President Rahul Gandhi pay floral tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel pic.twitter.com/limlEr4kMF
â ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2019
#Visuals: Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra interacts with a child during the roadshow in Lucknow. The girl says, "I gave her a garland & she gave me a chocolate. Later, she returned the garland to me & said, 'Stay happy'. pic.twitter.com/0h9PPYCiCm
â ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2019
The siblings later paid tribute to former Congressman and independent India's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Priyanka did not speak.
(With inputs from agencies)