Is Priyanka Gandhi fizzling out as Congress’ ‘secret weapon’ in India’s Uttar Pradesh election?
- A scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, the sister of Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi has been known as the party’s ‘secret weapon’
- Analysts say she is making less of an impact than hoped in a state with 150 million registered voters and 80 parliamentary seats up for grabs
In 2019, the party did just that. Gandhi, 50, was given her first full-time political responsibility by her brother Rahul, who is the party president.
Her job, as head of the party in Uttar Pradesh, was to reverse the catastrophic decline in its fortunes, so that it would gain more seats in the 2022 state election, that are seen as a test for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Uttar Pradesh, as India’s most populous state, has 150 million registered voters.
As the first phase of polling takes place – with Gandhi campaigning for Congress candidates rather than standing herself – analysts say the “bomb” may turn out to be a dud.
People expected her to electrify the party. Instead, it remains feeble, largely because her efforts to revive it on the ground have been episodic. “Just a few photo-op visits to the state. That’s all. No real grass roots work,” said political analyst Arati Jerath.
Jerath said it was too late for Gandhi to make any mark in this election. “She should have started her campaign two years ago. By now, she should have built up the party organisation and won some ground support for the Congress. Campaigning now is too little, too late.”
This is the first time that Gandhi has put her neck on the line, politically speaking. She chose the candidates. She gave 40 per cent of the tickets to women. She decided to focus on winning over the women in the state.
