Can Priyanka deliver west UP to Congress on political debut?
Many in the Congress—and some even outside—see Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra as a mirror-image of her grandmother, former prime minister Indira Gandhi; the cropped hair, the same confident stride, similar crowd-pulling oratorical skills. Priyanka, Congress workers believe, is born to lead, like her late grandmother. It was only a matter of when, and not if, she will take the plunge. The answer came on January 23. But not in the manner many expected it to be. A matter-of-fact press note announced the appointment of Priyanka, 47, as the party’s general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, along with other senior leaders given separate responsibilities. Despite keeping it low-key, the appointment could be the Congress’s boldest gamble to regain as much space as possible in Uttar Pradesh, the most crucial state for any party dreaming of grabbing power at the Centre.
The story only gets more interesting from here on. The general elections are due in the next few months and Congress president Rahul Gandhi has handed over the bellwether state to his sister and another relatively young leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, who has been given charge of western UP. The state sends 80 lawmakers to the Lok Sabha, the most by any state. In 2014, the Congress had managed just two seats in UP as the BJP rode a Modi wave to bag 71. Since then, the saffron party has lost three of those in by-elections. The two seats that the Congress won in 2014 are Rae Bareli (Sonia Gandhi) and Amethi (Rahul Gandhi), the only constituencies where Priyanka had campaigned.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
No Singular Self
Sudarshan Shetty's work questions the singularity of identity
Mass Killing
Genocide or not, stop the massacre of Palestinians
Passing on the Gavel
The higher judiciary must locate its own charter in the Constitution. There should not be any ambiguity
India Reads Korea
Books, comics and webtoons by Korean writers and creators-Indian enthusiasts welcome them all
The K-kraze
A chronology of how the Korean cultural wave(s) managed to sweep global audiences
Tapping Everyday Intimacies
Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo departs from his outsized national cinema with low-budget, chatty dramedies
Tooth and Nail
The influence of Korean cinema on Bollywood aesthetics isn't matched by engagement with its deeper themes as scene after scene of seemingly vacuous violence testify, shorn of their original context
Beyond Enemy Lines
The recent crop of films on North-South Korea relations reflects a deep-seated yearning for the reunification of Korea
Ramyeon Mogole?
How the Korean aesthetic took over the Indian market and mindspace
Old Ties, Modern Dreams
K-culture in Tamil Nadu is a very serious pursuit for many