Motilal Vora, the senior most Congressman, has confirmed to people close to him that Priyanka Gandhi will contest from Rae Bareli. Her mother Sonia Gandhi does not wish to fight the electoral battle due to health reasons.

If Vora is indicating this, it is as good as truth. The 84-year-old enjoys unique privileges in 10 Janpath. For example, he is the only leader in the party who can walk straight into the dining hall – and get full audience of the mother-son-daughter trio.

Larger role for Mistry likely

Madusudan Mistry, the Gujarat Congress leader, is likely to become for Rahul Gandhi what another Gujarati, Ahmed Patel is to Sonia – the political secretary. Mistry is anyway considered close to Rahul, who has assigned him the job of short-listing party candidates.

AICC old timers say that when Rajiv Gandhi promoted Vincent George, the Kerala lobby got prominence in the party, and now with Gandhi junior it seems the Gujjus are in ascendant. 

Mistry on job in Karnataka

Mistry is overseeing the ticket distribution for the Karnataka assembly elections. Congress sources say the party is sure to win 135 out of 224 seats. During internal discussions, when money matters come up, Mistry says only Ahmedbhai will clear the package, restricting his own job to mere candidate selection.

The Congress war room

The Congress’s main power centre is at 15 Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Road, a few metres from the parliament house. Rahul Gandhi visits it three days a week to discuss 2014 poll prospects. On these days 10 to 15 union ministers also join strategy meets. Alliances are forged here. How to win over Mayawati (whose bungalow incidentally is just across the road)? Can Nitish Kumar be wooed? Will Jayalalitha join UPA? Strategies are planned here and then executed.

The war room experts have already conducted a threadbare analysis of about 400 parliamentary constituencies (expecting to win only 85 to 90 of them). As for the remaining 140-odd constituencies, the Congress has neither the organization nor the candidates to fight there.