Congress president Rahul Gandhi is relying on sister Priyanka to revive the party in Uttar Pradesh.
Congress Old - Timers in Amethi still remember the time when a young Priyanka came to the Gandhi family pocket borough with her mother Sonia in 1999. She was there to help Sonia with her debut campaign. They talk about how she ably assisted her mother and displayed a maturity beyond her years.
“Amethi ka danka, bitiya Priyanka” (Amethi’s drum, daughter Priyanka)—the slogan greeted her wherever she toured the constituency with her mother. A somewhat nervous Sonia found her rock in Priyanka as she took her electoral plunge.
Priyanka’s connection with the Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies only grew in the following years, and it was widely believed that she would inherit Amethi, which elected her father Rajiv Gandhi to the Lok Sabha four times. Instead, her brother Rahul was fielded from the constituency in the 2004 general elections. She accompanied Rahul to Amethi to introduce him to the party workers and the people.
Ever since, there has been a persistent demand for Priyanka, who is widely seen in the Congress as a natural politician and who is compared to her grandmother Indira Gandhi, to enter active politics. The demand grew louder following the Congress’s humiliating performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when the party won just 44 seats.
If it was Priyanka who introduced Rahul to Amethi in 2004, 15 years later, before another Lok Sabha election, Rahul, as party president, has entrusted Priyanka with the crucial charge of winning Uttar Pradesh for the party.
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
Trump And The Crisis Of Liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
