How Priyanka Gandhi will churn the Uttar Pradesh poll plot
Priyanka's entry into active politics was in the works for over a decade, but with the BJP chanting 'Congressmukt Bharat' and its potential allies in the Mahagathbandhan not ready to cede space, the stakes were never so high.
In Short
- By fielding Priyanka to manage the party's UP campaign, Rahul has announced that the Congress is battle ready
- Priyanka's entry in eastern UP will challenge the SP-BSP in the potential catchment area for the combine
- Her popularity, however, has not helped the Congress much as it never translated into votes
It's all hands on deck for the Congress's first family as Priyanka Gandhi was made a Congress general secretary. With her, now three members of the Gandhi family are in active politics - a first of sorts even for the dynasty-driven party.
Priyanka's entry into active politics was in the works for over a decade, but with the BJP chanting 'Congressmukt Bharat' and its potential allies in the Mahagathbandhan not ready to cede space, the stakes were never so high. The implications of Priyanka's entry into the pollscape are huge.
1. CONG NOW HAS A FACE IN UP
By fielding his sister to manage the party's UP campaign, Rahul Gandhi has announced that the Congress is battle ready. In this crucial state, if the BJP has Narendra Modi, SP-BSP has Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati, the Congress now has Priyanka Gandhi.
Priyanka's presence in UP will mean that her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi can now focus on the rest of the country, have someone he trusts in the crucial state. Also, Sonia Gandhi's reduced presence in the electoral arena may get a cover.
For Congress workers, Priyanka, in her handloom saris, resembles Indira Gandhi and is considered to be more accessible and street-smart.
Also Read | Priyanka Gandhi in new UP role to boost Congress poll prospects, says Kamal Nath
2. THE PARTY HAS CHANGED UNDER RaGa
Never before has the Congress fielded a member of the family in a boiling cauldron like UP, when the chances of winning are low. This is not a soft-landing for Priyanka as the Congress, with a moribund party structure in the state, is neither a big player nor expected to do too well.
This means Rahul Gandhi's risk-taking appetite is big and he is ready to expose himself and his family to political hardships. With this decision, the Congress' first family has shed the apprehensions that Priyanka's presence may open a new power centre and lead to constant comparisons between the brother and the sister.
3. NO CAKEWALK FOR SP-BSP THAT DUMPED CONG
The SP-BSP ejected the Congress from the UP Mahagathbandhan and wanted it to be the junior player - on their terms. Rahul is now preparing to contest each seat in the state and even go solo.
Priyanka's entry in eastern UP will challenge the SP-BSP in the potential catchment area for the combine. If Akhilesh and Mayawati humiliated the Congress by offering just two of the 80 seats to the party, Rahul is now telling the alliance that he is ready to fight them.
Priyanka is said to enjoy a cordial relationship with Akhilesh and she is said to be better placed for some backdoor negotiations.
4. PRIYANKA CAN BE A FACTOR IN UP
Priyanka is not new to Uttar Pradesh. She has campaigned in the state, but in a limited capacity. She has managed her mother's constituency Raebareli, is immensely popular among voters.
However, her popularity has not helped the Congress much as it never translated into votes. In the 2012 Assembly polls, she had campaigned in Rae Bareli but the Congress lost all five Assembly seats in that Lok Sabha segment. In 2017, she campaigned again but it didn't help the Congress.
However, this time around she comes in as a general secretary of the party, a spearhead of the campaign. The party feels that this will send a signal to its cadres across the country. The party's assessment is that the there are several castes within the SC and backwards categories which had drifted towards the BJP in the last elections. The Congress is now aiming at those voters.
The party is also banking on Priyanka to impact the young and urban voters as this segment is perceived to be unhappy with the BJP due to lack of jobs, GST, note ban, farm crisis and the move to overturn a Supreme Court order on atrocities in the SC/ST Act by an amendment.
Congress leaders say Priyanka can speak the language of aspiration to young voters as they don't have any political baggage and or steadfast party loyalty.
5. TURNING THE HEAT ON BJP's BIG GUNS
The BJP's top brass comes from Uttar Pradesh, politically speaking. Prime Minister Modi from Varanasi, Rajnath Singh from Lucknow, Manoj Sinha from Ghazipur and CM Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur. Priyanka's presence in this region will force the BJP bigwigs to spend more time in their constituencies, thereby reducing their footprint across the country.
Her entry may not win big numbers for the Congress, but if her brother's ultimate goal is to hurt the Saffron forces, then she could be an asset. Realising the above ramifications, the BJP armada has started firing already, calling Congress "a family affair".
The party's formidable election machinery will keep driving home that point. Then the case against her husband Robert Vadra will resonate throughout the election campaign, forcing the Congress to defend him. Congress leaders, however, are readying the Rafale deal as a counteroffensive. The question of whether Priyanka will contest or not is also open.
As general secretary, she can move freely through the state. Contesting a seat will mean spending time there, even if it is Rae Bareli (replacing UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi). The state Congress leaders, however, are said to be pushing for her being fielded.
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