The Hindu : National : He will do it for me if I want : Priya Dutt

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He will do it for me if I want : Priya Dutt

Priya Dutt says their relationship is “above politics”

— Photo: Vivek Bendre

Congress candidate from Mumbai north central, Priya Dutt, at a conference in Mumbai on Wednesday.

MUMBAI: Notwithstanding her public outburst against brother Sanjay Dutt for joining the Samajwadi Party, Congress MP Priya Dutt on Wednesday has said that her relationship with him is “above politics” and he will even campaign for her during next month’s general elections if she expressed such a wish.

“We both belong to different political parties. He will have his limitation... so will I, but our relationship is above politics. He will campaign for me if I wish so,” Ms. Dutt told reporters here. Asked whether she would campaign for Mr. Dutt in Lucknow, she said she would do so if her brother wanted her to but added “let us reach that stage first.”

“There is no need to draw different conclusions just because we belong to different political parties. Our aim in politics is the same,” said the Congress MP, who is seeking a second term in the Lok Sabha from the Mumbai North-Central constituency.

On Samajwadi Party’s threat to field a candidate against her if the Congress put up a nominee against Mr. Dutt in Lucknow, Ms. Dutt said she “did not understand politics” and would not like to comment on this.

Ms. Dutt said the polls would not be a cakewalk for her though she had won in the 2005 bypoll with a thumping majority.

“That was my father’s election. People had voted for him though he was no more. I too was not in a frame of mind as I had just delivered my first child.”

“But now it is different. I’m involved in planning the election campaign. My interaction with voters will also increase this time during the campaign,” she said, adding “voters are not naive, they will judge you by your worth.” Ms. Dutt said that the last three years as an MP had been a learning process for her. — PTI

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