Assam Assembly Election: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was equipped for the task with a basket on her back
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra plucks tea leaves and interacts with tea garden workers in Assam's Biswanath, photos and videos shared today on Twitter show.
Dressed in a saree, Ms Gandhi, 49, was equipped for the task with a basket on her back balanced by a band on her head. She had a scarf on her head on which the band was strapped on. She was also armoured with an apron at her waist as she took on the job.
"The life of tea garden workers is full of truth and simplicity and their labor is valuable for the country. Today, I got to know about their work and families and the understood the struggles of their work. I will not forget the love and intimacy I got from them," Ms Gandhi tweeted in Hindi and shared photos.
A video, shared by news agency ANI, shows the Congress leader taking instructions from workers of the Sadhuru tea garden on how to pluck tea leaves. She smiles as a few others click photographs, the minute long video shows.
She received a rousing welcome to the tea garden earlier in the day, photos of which were shared by the Congress.
Ms Gandhi is on a two-day visit to launch the Congress's campaign for the three-phased assembly elections in the state that begins on March 27. She has been seen taking an active part in local customs and traditions during her stay.
On Monday, the Congress general secretary was seen performing a traditional 'Jhumur' dance with several young women in the state's Lakhimpur.
With barely two months to go for the assembly election in Assam, the Sarbananda Sonowal government increased the daily wages of tea garden workers from Rs 167 to Rs 217 just days ago.
With close to 10 lakh tea workers and over 60 lakh population of the tea tribe community, they are a major vote bank in Assam. Over the years, Assam tea votes have seen a shift from Congress to the BJP.
The tea tribe community is a determining factor in as many as 35 assembly seats, out of a total 126.
The wage revision for tea workers has been a major election issue. Ms Gandhi's brother Rahul, who was in the state for his first election meeting last month had promised a daily wage of Rs 365 if voted to power.
The tea tribe community has been long demanding a daily wage of Rs 351.