This could well be Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s political masterstroke. His decision to assign a full-fledged party role to sibling Priyanka has introduced the X factor into Indian politics and this might alter the narrative for the 2019 elections in a significant way.
It is interesting that Priyanka will lead the Congress’s charge in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, the home turf of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. More importantly, she will be in direct confrontation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who represents the prestigious Varanasi parliamentary constituency. The move from Rahul cannot be anything but deliberate. It is clear he wants to take the BJP head-on in the short run and make Congress a potent force in a state that carries huge electoral heft in the long.
Priyanka’s entry upsets the running political equations in several ways. She is perceived to be a charismatic leader in the mould of Indira Gandhi by party workers. Her presence is certain to galvanise them. She is a crowd-puller to boot. She is also an excellent communicator, unlike Rahul. She is likely to articulate the Congress’s position on issues with more clarity and authority. She is suave and sophisticated, a perfect antidote to the crudeness of most BJP leaders, particularly the current leadership. Her persona is likely to attract the young population which has started developing Modi fatigue.
And she is no political green horn, given she has always been involved in the party’s matters. She has been overseeing her party’s electoral campaign in Amethi and Rae Bareli, parliamentary seats of Rahul and Sonia, for years now.
The BJP should be worried. The party has always been wary of the ‘family’ and the influence, both tangible and intangible, it wields. The single-minded devotion with which it subjects the Gandhis to blistering political attacks is an indication to its constant apprehension about the resurgence of the family on the political scene. With Rahul, the task of targetting was easy. He was juxtaposed with Modi and his obvious weaknesses made him an easy subject of mockery and verbal abuse. Priyanka is a different personality altogether. Unlike her brother, she can be combative in a refined, composed way. She will be an entire new challenge for the party and Modi.
And yes, in an election year, she will snatch prime media space from Modi, at least a good chunk of it. In the absence of an interesting rival, Modi has been ruling the waves for nearly five years now. Priyanka offers a much-wanted distraction. The media will be following her intensely for some time now, at least till the novelty factor wears off. The fact that she could be the prime ministerial prospect for the party at some later point, would make her a subject of interest of the media for long.
Now, here’s a hypothetical situation. Imagine the Congress fielding her from Varanasi against Prime Minister Modi. This would be the most riveting contest in the electoral history of the country. Besides a charged up Congress cadre, she would have the support of the Samajwadi Party and the BSP, who would like to see the BJP’s mascot defeated at all cost. This would certainly give the latter tense moments and force him to concentrate more on his constituency. A loss for him would be great humiliation. Since he is the BJP’s sole star campaigner, it would affect his campaign across the country. If the Congress decides to pitch Priyanka it should not be a surprise.
However, we could be overestimating her impact at this point. The Congress, with a paltry6.5 percent vote share in the state, is in a state of disarray, if not disintegration. The party has to win back constituencies lost due the impact of Mandal-Mandir politics of the early 1990s and present itself as a viable alternative to caste-centric and religion-based political outfits. The rebuilding of the party requires tremendous effort. She will find it tough. But, as Rahul Gandhi said she is not on a two-month assignment. It is going to be a long stint. Obviously, the party is keen on winning back Uttar Pradesh. Now it has the person to rally around.
The X factor has arrived. Let’s wait and watch its future moves.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Odisha Bytes
