With Priyanka Gandhi Vadra taking the electoral plunge the Congress party will have all the three members of the Nehru-Gandhi clan in Parliament. The timing of Priyanka’s electoral debut is interesting for she is taking the plunge at a time when the party has just begun its climb back from a very low point. In fact when the decision to field Priyanka was taken, at the time the party was still feeling the high of the Lok Sabha results. After that, however the morale took a beating post Haryana and even post the Jammu results for the party was not able to keep the momentum going. But Priyanka’s candidature had been announced in advance and the Gandhis decided to go ahead with the election. This is a smart move for Priyanka’s electoral debut has already been delayed. She has been actively campaigning for the party since 2019; albeit with mixed results. If she has made up her mind to play a role in active politics, then the sooner the better.
A lot will depend on the Maharashtra polls but already the Congress is on a backfoot with its allies. The Samajwadi Party has refused to cede any of the seats demanded by the Congress in the coming round of nine bypolls, as a result of which the Congress will not be contesting the UP elections. In Maharashtra too the Sena (UBT) did not agree to the Congress demand of a hundred seats, as a result of which the party has had to make do with 85 seats, the same number as the Sena and the NCP (Pawar). Having said this, Rahul Gandhi’s political ratings have not plunged back to the pre 2024 Lok Sabha low. He still retains some credibility on ground, especially since he has stayed the course and not taken off on one of sabbaticals post the Haryana results. Having Priyanka by his side in the Lok Sabha will only boost the optics of the Nehru-Gandhi brand with the duo taking on the BJP. Priyanaka is a feisty orator and enjoys the cut and thrust of political repartee. It comes more instinctively to her than to her brother. She will be more effective taking on the BJPs second rung leaving Rahul to engage with the Modi-Shah duo.
Also, Priyanka’s presence from a constituency in the South which has been more loyal to the Gandhi-Nehrus than the Congress comes with its own optics; as is the fact that the constituency of Wayanad is one that has been vacated by her brother. She has not been given a difficult seat or a trophy win – recall how she wanted to debut the Lok Sabha from Phulpur or even take on the PM from Varanasi. But instead she has been handed a carefully curated hand-me-down. The messaging is clear that — her political trajectory will always be in her brother’s shadow. But its as good a place to start, as any.
