When will you formally enter politics? That was the question Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was frequently asked when she campaigned in Rae Bareli and Amethi, the constituencies of her mother Sonia Gandhi, and her brother Rahul Gandhi, during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. She didn’t join active politics then despite speculations that she might take a plunge into the trade she had been witnessing since childhood. After keeping silent for almost five years, the 47-year old mother of two has hit the headlines after being appointed the Congress party’s general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh. The move was not unexpected—many likened her to her grandmother Indira Gandhi, and more popular among the common people than her brother despite making public appearances only during election time. The Congress party and the Gandhi family were aware that she had it in her to pull the crowd. So, her entry into active politics was just a matter of time for the Congress to use her just when the party needed her the most.
The Congress and its chief Rahul have been woken from slumber by their win in the recent assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Now, Rahul has decided to use his trump card—his sister—to help the party win the forthcoming, crucial Lok Sabha elections that is expected to be held in May. It has received mixed reactions with the Congress party welcoming the change, saying it will boost the party’s performance in UP, while the rival BJP termed the move as expected of a “family” party that believes in dynastic rule.
It is obvious that family politics runs deep in the Congress party from the days of Jawaharlal Nehru; the Gandhi family enjoys more privilege than the others in the party’s hierarchy. A classic example is that of Rahul being promoted to party chief ahead of many senior and capable leaders. The hype around Priyanka’s entry into active politics and the responsibility she has been given is also because of her family’s political lineage.
Now, what is important and what those following Indian politics will want to see is whether she can actually change the political equations of the country, or turn out to be a failure. She does have charisma and mass appeal but politics can be harsh; a different ball game altogether. Whether or not she contests in the upcoming elections, she now has a huge responsibility on her shoulders. The performance of the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 will not only decide the fate of the party but also her future in Indian politics. She will receive bouquets if the party wins; brickbats if defeated. And from now on, every step she takes will be observed.
