UP polls: Rahul, Priyanka hit the campaign trail together

Sultanpur: Ahead of the third phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have hit the campaign trail together. The siblings are in the family pocket-borough of Sultanpur. The duo also jointly addressed a rally in the Labua constituency.

After an impressive turnout in the first two phases, the third phase - slated for February 15 - will see the fate of 1.021 candidates being sealed across 10 districts.

Priyanka, for one, has been campaigning extensively in the Gandhi bastions of Amethi and Rae Bareli over the last few days, with her mother and party president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul focussing on the rest of the state.

Earlier this week, the Gandhi family was out in full force what with Priyanka being joined by her husband Robert Vadra and their two children during her poll campaign in Amethi. (See Pics) The couple has not failed to mention that their presence in UP is as much to support Rahul Gandhi as for the Congress. For many, this high-stakes battle in UP is a test of Rahul Gandhi's political ability and credibility. But his younger sister vehemently denied that this election was a make-or-break one for the 40-year-old Gandhi scion. (Read)

But that in no way undermines the significance of these elections for Rahul Gandhi and the Congress as it looks to revive its lost fortunes. A win would establish the fact that the Congress' impressive showing in the state in the last General Elections was no fluke.