The new Congress general secretary’s greatest challenge is living up to expectations
This is a bit like the “cry wolf” syndrome, the fervid anticipation petering out over time to the non-dramatical humdrum of a daily event. So it is that Priyanka Gandhi’s entry to politics, when it did happen after years of expectation, seemed too little too late in the day given the contextual backdrop of the country’s politics has changed completely. As has voter dynamics. India is not Indira anymore as the grand old party once liked to have believed and that monolithic propaganda has given way to a more objective assessment of her legacy in a free climate of opinions and analysis. So an Indira lookalike in physicality and royal tenor, that many Congress minions are swearing by, will certainly not wash in a changed India where social mobility, caste ascension and a certain sense of aspiration have democratised the polity in a good way. But she is an energising catalyst in a jaded political atmosphere of the times, a new voice amid the distress and it would be brave if she renegotiates her relevance in these challenging circumstances without the halo, even within her own party, and see whether she can really be a people’s rather than a dynasty princess. First things first, what does her official elevation as General Secretary for East UP mean for the Congress? Clearly, Uttar Pradesh is a crucible state and despite the three Assembly election victories, this is where its vote share is in dismal single digit and finds itself abandoned by both the traditional voter and the anti-BJP combine pivoted by the SP, BSP. As of 2014, it is a safe haven for a resurgent BJP and if presidential style oratory is one of the key benchmarks, then Priyanka can ably take on both Narendra Modi in Varanasi and Yogi Adityanath in Gorakhpur. The problem here is that her spitfire speeches, that made for good optics even while campaigning for her family seats, and her backroom intensity have so far not delivered electorally. It is not known if an official organisational post vis-a-vis an equally involved an unofficial role can change any perception about her commitment. At the same time, from being a constant shadow through her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s zero moments, her coming out now is double-edged. Even though Rahul has a hold of things and some successes to write home about, the magnetism of Priyanka would always lead to speculation if she is the alternate, nay, the ultimate power centre. But the Congress is at the crossroads in Uttar Pradesh, and truth be told, it has to risk all vote-catching ammunition in its arsenal in a do-or-die election. With a resurgent Opposition front, that’s becoming gale force after the United India rally in Kolkata, the party has been left stone-cold and has to be seen as reclaiming some prominence. At least Priyanka can help top news headlines and sway popular mood. Except that Rahul Gandhi’s claim of democratising the party as a modern entity of capable young guns falls flat considering he is just replacing an old coterie with a new one of entitled and gentrified leaders, be it a Priyanka Gandhi or Jyotiraditya Scindia, in Uttar Pradesh.
As for the BJP, its troll army and propaganda warfare will make mincemeat of the burden she carries, that of her family name and the alleged wrongdoings by her husband Robert Vadra. With her witty colloquialisms and strident demeanour, there’s no doubt she can rob some sheen of Modi, the orator. And photographed with a sweatshirt emblazoned with “Don’t underestimate a woman,” she would appeal to half the country’s constituency of women, clearly tired of the forced masculinity of leadership. Now for this strategy to work, she would have to offer more than good speeches though. Can she dent the BJP’s upper caste votebank substantially, considering that the Congress had done so in the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha bypoll last year, enabling a SP-BSP win? If she does too well, with both women, some Brahmins, Muslims and the fringe parties, then there is chance that she could impact the SP-BSP votebase too. The groundswell of reactions will be discernible a few months down the line but right now she is a “viral” breath of fresh air.