In an SMS to NDTV on Thursday, Priyaka said, “I am not joining politics. I am looking after my mother’s constituency as I did from 1999 to 2004 without being in politics. There is nothing new in my interacting with workers in Rae Bareli and Amethi constituencies. I have been doing so since 1991. As there have been organisational issues lately, I will be travelling to Rae Bareli now and then to look into them.”

Her clarification came in the backdrop of intense speculation about the possibility of her contesting the next Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli. Such speculation started doing the rounds after she started taking more interest in party affairs in Rae Bareli from where the Congress had drawn a blank in the last Assembly elections in UP early this year.

Following the party’s poor show in the Congress president’s constituency, Priyanka was said to have decided to restructure the organisation by reconstituting panchayat and district Congress committees. Priyanka’s clarification also came in the backdrop of the Congress’s ally Samajwadi Party and opposition BJP questioning Rahul Gandhi’s ability to lead the country given that he has remained silent on critical issues facing the country.