Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was the star speaker at the Gujarat rally (File)
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in her first political speech in Gujarat, broke a tradition as she began her address with "behno aur bhaiyon (sisters and brothers)". Her gesture didn't go unnoticed as her party's lawmaker Sushmita Dev pointed out Ms Vadra's improvisation.
"The speech of Priyanka Gandhi ji in Gujarat stood out for many reasons. I loved the fact that in her address she changed the order most people follow by referring to women before men-- that is sisters and brothers and not the other way around," Ms Dev tweeted.
"...and I thought no one noticed!!" Priyanka Gandhi Vadra quipped on Twitter, where she recently opened account and follows only 8 people, including her brother, Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was the star speaker at the rally attended by big-wigs of the party. In her address, she talked about women's safety as she attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Your vote is your weapon. Make the right decision, ask the right questions," she said in the rally in Ahmedabad.
"Think and decide - those who talk big in front of you, where are the jobs they promised? What about the Rs. 15 lakh in every bank account that they talked about? What about women's safety?" she added.
The Congress is trying to impress women voters with promises like 33 per cent reservation in parliament. Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday also promised reservation for women in jobs and education.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was inducted in the Congress weeks after Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav announced an alliance in Uttar Pradesh for Lok Sabha polls. She and Jyotiraditya Scindia have been tasked to revive the party in the state. She is the in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh for the Congress.
There were rumours that she might contest the Lok Sabha election from her mother's constituency Raebareli. It has emerged, however, that she will not contest the polls and will focus on the party's campaign.
"In order to concentrate on the campaign and her new responsibility as General Secretary, she will not be contesting in this election," sources told NDTV.