Priyanka Gandhi tries to revive the childhood memories in Shimla

While Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's Shimla land has become the rallying point for political parties, the Gandhis have an emotional attachment with Himachal Pradesh's capital where late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and his wife Sonia had enjoyed some romantic moments of their life. Sources close to All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi said that she had recently shared her best kept secret about Shimla with local politicians.

"Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have an emotional attachment to Chharabra, the place where the land in question lies. The Congress chief, during her recent Shimla visit from May 17 to 19 had told people close to her that she along with Rajiv had spent some time sitting on the grass at the same place when they had visited Shimla for the first time after marriage. The place became a favourite and they had decided to build a house there," a Shimla-based senior Congressman while requesting anonymity told Mail Today.

Another fact why Sonia likes the place is that she hails from Contrada Maini (Maini street), Lusiana, Italy which resembles the Shimla hills. "The Gandhis are fond of Shimla and the Himalayas. Sonia also shares a bond with the hills as she hails from a mountainous region," state Congress chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

Rajiv and Sonia had also stayed at Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Captain Amarinder Singh's Patiala palace after their wedding besides at his Chail (Deochi) farm in Solan district. The couple, along with their children, had also gone on a holiday trip to Shimla in Priyanka land cements the Gandhi bond with Shimla 1980-81. "Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi used to play at the place where the former's bungalow is coming up now. They had also visited Chharabra and other parts of Shimla. The family had enjoyed their breakfast at Barog in 1980-81 (he does not remember the exact date). The children were very playful and had demanded veg sandwiches and cutlets," recollects former Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation manager Madhu Sudan.

Interactions with senior Shimla journalists revealed that Rajiv used to visit the hill station almost every year when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister. "He was fond of Shimla and used to enjoy skating at the famous skating rink. As per my memory, he had visited the city more than 15 times. He stayed here for over a week in 1971 when Congress organised a party meet," senior journalist PC Lohumi said.

Priyanka purchased the Chharabra land in 2007 for 47 lakh. She is constructing her dream house on about 1.4-acre land that is located close to The Retreat, the summer holiday resort of the Indian President.