Priyanka Gandhi Concludes Her Ganga Yatra at Vishwanath Temple

Congress General Secretary UP (East) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra concluded her three-day Ganga Yatra by offering prayers at Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi on Wednesday, 20 March, which is the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier, in the day Priyanka performed aarti at the Dashashwamedh Ghat.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday arrived in Lucknow to meet party workers and office bearers ahead of her boatride from Prayagraj to Varanasi.

Gandhi's flight arrived at 10.20 am in Lucknow and she reached Nehru Bhawan, state headquarters on Mall Avenue, in another half an hour.

Several delegations who have been protesting against the Yogi Adityanath's Bharatiya Janata Party government's administration were likely to meet her, party leaders said, IANS reported.

There were at least 12 to 13 groups who have sought audience with her separately. Each group having about 30-40 members.

Congress General Secretary of Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offers prayers at Bade Hanuman temple in Prayagraj.

During her three-day visit, Priyanka will cover a distance of 100-km by boat in Ganga from Allahabad to Varanasi — the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hopping from one temple to another.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is in Uttar Pradesh campaigning for the party, is drawing inspiration from her grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who taught her to be fearless.

"Sitting in the courtyard of Swaraj Bhawan, the room is visible where my grandmother was born," she tweeted late on Sunday, while spending sometime in the 19th century mansion here. The ancestral home was owned by her great-great grandfather, Motilal Nehru.

The 47-year-old recalled how her grandmother often rocked her to sleep with the bedtime story of Joan of Arc, a peasant girl from medieval France, who believed God chose her to lead France to victory in its Hundred Years War with England. She succeeded and is honoured as the Maid of Orleans.

"I still have those words imprinted in my heart. Become fearless and all will be good," she added.

During her three-day visit, Priyanka will cover a distance of 100-km by boat in Ganga from Allahabad to Varanasi - the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hopping from one temple to another. Her Ganga cruise is being seen by political observers as an effort to navigate her party out of a nearly three-decade long wilderness in the state.

Moments after Priyanka Gandhi began her ‘Ganga-yatra’ today as Congress’ General Secretary, Indian Youth Congress from Karnataka shared images of the Congress leader on her campaign trail.

During her boat ride, Priyanka Gandhi was seen interacting with students from Allahabad University.

The Congress leader said she would reach out to people through various means of transportation, including waterways, buses, train and 'padayatra' (on foot).

"River Ganga is a symbol of truth and equality. It is also a symbol of our 'Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb' (cross culture). It does not differentiate among people. Gangaji is the lifeline of Uttar Pradesh and with her support I will reach you," Priyanka said.

As part of her campaign tour, Priyanka will also visit Bhadohi and Mirzapur districts.

Tweeting a picture of Indira Gandhi offering prayers on 25 September in 1979 at the same temple where Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offered prayers today, Congress said: “Traditions, customs never change.”

The picture shows Priyanka Gandhi at the same Bade Hanuman Temple in Prayagraj, which Indira Gandhi had visited 40 years ago.

On her campaign trail for Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi reached Manaiya Ghat today.

“India’s democracy is in danger. I am not saying this. India’s Supreme Court judges have said this. To save the democracy, India does not have any other option than Congress. The poor and destitute had hopes from PM Modi when he said he is from a poor background. Now only Congress can help the country,” Congress’ member Savitri Bai Phule said, talking about Priyanka Gandhi’s campaign trail.

Interacting with the locals in Dumduma Ghat in Prayagraj, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took a jibe at the prime minister’s ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ campaign and said, “Chowkidar is meant for the rich people and not the farmers.”

Every election is a “picnic” for the Gandhi family, the BJP said while seeking to downplay Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s three-day Uttar Pradesh visit during which she will cover 100 km by boat in the river Ganga.

“For the Gandhi family, every election is a picnic. They come, they see and resort to rhetorical speeches. After the elections are over, they head towards Switzerland or Italy,” senior BJP leader and UP Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma told PTI.

Priyanka Gandhi shared a picture of young women she met at the Allahabad University.

“Loved sharing my journey with these intelligent, dynamic young women from Allahabad University this morning. I met so many talented students today - they deserve a future in which their hopes and dreams can be realised,” Gandhi tweeted.

Responding to Mayawati’s tweet asking Congress to not “spread confusion” on leaving seven seats for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandi said, “We are fighting the elections alone, we have no issues with anyone, don't want to disturb anyone, our goal is to defeat BJP, their goal also is to defeat BJP.”

Continuing her maiden three-day river journey, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took a dig at the BJP on Tuesday, 19 March in Bhadohi. “The argument: ‘What did they do in 70 years?’ also has an expiry date. Now, they (BJP) should tell what they have done in their five years when they are in power,” she said.

Her remarks came after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on completion of two years in office, said, “Congress ruled the state for the maximum time period after independence, and in return the party gave the state (UP) the designation of a ‘Bimaru’ state.

“Report card, promotions, all of it sounds good, but there's nothing on ground, I'm meeting people every day, all the people are in distress,” Priyanka said.No Riots in up Since Bjp Came to Power: Adityanath

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi interacted with the delegation of weavers in UP’s Bhadohi.

People thronged to welcome Priyanka Gandhi at the Mirzapur-Bhadohi border in Uttar Pradesh. The supporters garlanded the UP Congress General Secretary upon her arrival.

Priyanka Gandhi visited Bhadohi Congress worker Sridhar Mishra's house on Tuesday, 19 March. Mishra briefed her about the problems of the locality.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offers prayers at Vindhyavasini Devi temple and Dargah of Khwaja Janab Ismail Chisti.

Interacting with the locals at Sindhora Ghat in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hit out at the BJP and said that the people of the country should decide the kind of government they wish to see in power.

“After Congress government came to power in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, farm loans were waived. But under this government, the industrialists and businessmen are the only ones who are happy,” she said.

She also raked up the issue of unemployment and women safety and asked the people if they wanted a government which takes care of their needs or someone who ignores them.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra holds a road show in Chunar, Mirzapur.

On the final day of her three-day river journey in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi slammed BJP for “systematically attacking every institution in the last five years, including the media.” People are not fools, they see through this, she said.

Her remarks were in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tweet on dynastic politics which said, “The biggest casualty of dynastic politics are institutions. From the press to Parliament. From soldiers to free speech. From the Constitution to the courts. Nothing is spared.”

As Priyanka Gandhi visited former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's memorial in Ramnagar, a clash broke out between the Congress and BJP workers.

Priyanka Gandhi has reached Assi Ghat in Varanasi for her 'Ganga Yatra' campaign, reported ANI.

Senior Congress leader Ajay Rai spoke to The Quint’s Vikrant Dubey and said that Congress is growing exponentially in Varanasi.

Priyanka Gandhi offers prayers at Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.

While addressing a rally in Varanasi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hit out at the BJP and said that during 2014 Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi made several promises but none of them have been fulfilled.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s three-day ganga yatra culminated at Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.