Ever since the appointment of Priyanka Gandhi as the General Secretary and election in-charge of Eastern U.P., hundreds of articles have been written on every media platform, with regards to how this appointment will be a game changer in the upcoming elections.
This appointment is being viewed as a masterstroke by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party. In every nook and corner of the political and media circles, the debate doing the rounds is, how the official entry of Priyanka Gandhi will be the biggest threat to Modi in the battlefield of 2019.
But now it’s time to settle down, take a deep breath and put things into perspective. Is this appointment worth the hue and cry, and the hysteria it has led to?
Elections are not won on personal appeal alone. Priyanka Gandhi will face challenges at each and every step. Caste equations, voters’ expectations, past performances and alliance prospects are only some of the many challenges that await her. Therefore, she has to play every card smartly without wasting any time, since not more than 100 days are left in the elections. But there some challenges which will continue to hound her until then, in fact, even after that.
Firstly, let’s look at the experience Priyanka holds. As of now, she has only been managing elections for her mother and brother in Raebareli and Amethi, respectively. But things are different this time around. Now she has to manage elections in almost 40 seats, that too in the most politically charged state of the country, which also includes Varanasi (P.M. Narendra Modi’s Constituency) and Gorakhpur (the hub of C.M. Yogi Adityanath).
Also, it should be kept in mind that every child in Uttar Pradesh is a political pundit himself; where instead of policies and promises, caste and religion play the most important role. Her duties will be finding a strong state leadership, suitable candidates, drawing up the right election strategy, getting the necessary funds, and dealing with the aggressive anti-campaigners. Thus, Priyanka Gandhi’s fight in Eastern U.P. is way more difficult than what is actually being portrayed by certain sections of media and political parties.
Secondly, when she steps out of the Gandhi family’s comfort zone (i.e., Raebareli and Amethi), she has to be answerable for Sonia and Rahul Gandhi’s failure in developing their respective constituencies, which have been held under the reigns of the Gandhi family for the longest period.
Thirdly, the skepticism around whether she can be a mass leader many also dent her stature in these elections. It should be kept in mind that she is still a parachute leader and not a mass leader. Appearing once in every five years, that too only in Raebareli & Amethi, has not made Priyanka a people’s person yet. Therefore, her lack of experience in public relations is also one of the biggest hindrances which she will have to face.
Lastly, this might also have a counterproductive effect on the results. As of now, the alliance formed between SP-BSP in Uttar Pradesh was seen as the biggest competitor and alternative to BJP. But now, after the entry of Priyanka Gandhi, Congress might also turn up as an alternative and this may lead to the division of anti-BJP votes. It should be remembered that divided opposition was one of the reasons for BJP’s landslide victory in the 2014 general elections, and thus BJP would want to thrive on that.
Even after taking everything into consideration, the possibility of Priyanka Gandhi turning these Lok Sabha elections in Congress’ favour cannot be ruled out entirely. Narendra Modi is facing a hard time currently. Therefore, the entry of a viable face in the Congress party will give both BJP & Narendra Modi, a run for their money.