New Delhi: Congress said today (Jan 21, 2004) Rahul and Priyanka were in the party "from their birth", but they had not formally joined it.

"I don't think this question arises for persons who are born in the party...persons who have lived in the party and whose parents and grand parents have been in the party... they are in the party from their birth," Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said while replying to a question whether Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi had become members of the Congress.

Asked whether Rahul and Priyanka had formally joined the Congress, Singhvi said, "It is entirely their decision... when they decide to join the party, you and we will know."

Replying to a volley of questions about the visit of Rahul and Priyanka to their mother Sonia Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency Amethi, he said they had made it clear that they had gone there to see various programmes.

"They have not gone there for politicking," he added.

To another question whether they would contest the coming Lok Sabha polls, he said, "They have not given indication so far."

When a reporter pointed out that their statement in Amethi that there was no "feel good factor" in the country was "a politically loaded statement", Singhvi said it was a matter of interpretation.