The Congress party itself is divided on the issue of Priyanka Gandhi. Party leaders tested waters on Monday by projecting Priyanka as a nationwide campaigner for the party. When Kapil Sibal and Rashid Alvi were welcoming the move, party's media in-charge Ajay Maken was throwing a fit, vehemently denying any such move. So will she officially campaign outside UP? That's for the Congress to decide but there's a good reason why Maken reacted like he did.
VADRA NOT AN ASSET
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Poora naam. The addition Vadra was never a patch on the illustrious Gandhi surname. It was not an asset but neither was it a liability that it has become. Robert Vadra and his dubious land deals have created a situation where the BJP would do nothing but just address her as Priyanka Vadra to damage Congress. The challenger-in-chief Narendra Modi is notoriously good at this. His party has people notorious for referring to Sonia Gandhi as Sonia Maino. That puts off a lot of people, as it harks about her foreign origin. No such sympathy will accrue to Priyanka because this time it's not about origin, it's about sins. Not her sins, but her husband's.
NOVELTY THEATRE
Priyanka Gandhi is not a novelty in Amethi and Raebareli. The law of diminishing returns applies universally. In spite of her relentless campaigns during the last Assembly elections, she could not save a seat for Congress. She may attract great crowds in other parts of the country but novelty wears off quickly. Elections are not won or lost by crowds attending rallies, but the crowds queuing up to vote. Star power is not enough. India's election results are splattered with examples of stars crushed by the voter's will. Her party is on a weak wicket, fighting off charges of a series of scams and ineffective leadership. Anti-incumbency is not easy to defeat second time in a row. It takes more than just charm.
PRETTY LITTLE THING
The average Indian voter is not a fool. She understands why Priyanka Gandhi has come to her door. The voter knows that election is the pre-nuptial deal between the voter and the shooter, for a five-year tie-up. The voter will ask this: Who is she? She is not Congress president. She is the Congress president's daughter. She is not the prime ministerial candidate as Modi is. She is the sister of a possible prime ministerial candidate. She has no experience of running anything. Modi runs a state. She is not even an MP. Rahul Gandhi is. So apart from looking like her grandmother, what does she bring to the electoral table? Pretty little.
SELF GOAL
That brings us to her elder brother, Rahul. He is already seen as the future leader. He has been through ups and downs and managed to carve a space for himself. He has faced ridicule but often shaken the party out of the slumber while working behind the scenes. The way he tore up the ordinance and pulled the UPA government out of a messy ditch was a brilliant political move. Bringing up Priyanka, when he has done all the hard work, will only undermine his position, not strengthen it. Priyanka's rallies in Amethi and Raebareli are seen as Priyanka helping out her family. Priyanka's rallies across the country will steal the limelight from Rahul, and he desperately needs limelight as he is pitted against a man who hogs it all.
While we are at it....here are four reasons why bringing Priyanka to the battlefield may be a good idea for the Congress.
CHARISMA KA POOR
Rahul Gandhi may be a little confused about what he wants to be but there's no question about his diligence and hard work. He is brazen and often comes off as naive, but he has shown to his party and politics in general that the opaque ways we practise politics need improvement. All his rolling-up-sleeves notwithstanding, he is short on charisma. He lacks the clarity of thought that we have seen in flashes in Priyanka. His aggression is wasted because he doesn't inspire confidence. Political charisma comes from maturity that his younger sister seems richer in.
THE MORE THE BETTER
This is Rahul Gandhi's biggest test. He faces a formidable enemy. The matriarch has been unwell and the party handed over the mantle to him the day he was declared the vice-president. The party has many leaders but power flows from the family. With Sonia Gandhi not being in the proverbial pink of health, Priyanka is the only family member he can rely on and look for help. With Priyanka taking up a larger role, she can ease Rahul's burden of work. He can do with some help, and he cannot trust anyone more than his sister.
THE CADRE IGNITER
Narendra Modi has given a new life to the BJP cadre in many states where it was near-dead. In a state like UP where the BJP slid to no. 4 in party tally, ground reports suggest BJP would do much better than the last time. The credit goes to Modi, who is the rallying point for party workers. In Bihar and even the South, Modi is the magic potion that invigorated the BJP cadre. The Congress cadre needs awakening in many states. In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Congress did try Rahul. It didn't work. Priyanka may be the inspiration party cadres need.
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