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o sooner than Congress President Rahul
Gandhi anointed his sister Priyanka with
the coveted position of All India Congress
N Committee (AICC) general secretary, it
evoked as much commotion among the Bhartiya
Janata Party (BJP) leadership as the visible euphoria in
the Congress rank and file.
The sharp reactions of top BJP leaders made it loud
and clear that Rahul Gandhi had not just taken them
by surprise. They looked clearly jolted, obviously,
because they had not imagined A mother of two, Pri-
yanka Gandhi, 47, taking the final plunge into full-
time politics, that will determine the political destiny
of prime minister Narendra Modi. Despite mounting
pressure of investigation agencies on her husband
Robert Vadra, she step aside fear and assumed the
leadership role in the troubled times, both at home
and the party.
By running a well-orchestrated campaign to ridi-
cule Rahul as ‘pappu’, the BJP leadership seemed con-
vinced that they had managed to contain the most
vocal voice against them. It was rather late in the day
that they realised that their ‘pappu’ harp had even-
tually helped Rahul to evolve as a far more matured
, confident and vociferous president of the country’s
oldest political party that alone has the potential to
meet the might of the ruling BJP at the national level.
While BJP was still trying to figure out ways and
means to counter a transformed Rahul, who was busy
openly training his guns against none other than
Prime Minister Modi, Priyanka arrival on board as
a defacto second-in-command to Rahul has clearly
upset the saffron camp. Right from the Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi to every small and big BJP leader
dubbed Priyanka’s entry into active politics, “as exten-
sion of dynastic rule.” They tried to downplay this ma-
jor political development saying that for us, “party is
our family whereas in congress family is their party.”
Even as all national spokespersons of the ruling likely to make.
party went about issuing clarifications that there were With barely 100 days left for the final battle of the
no worries over Priyanka’s induction as in-charge of ballot, Priyanka may not be able to do any magic. “The
the vast Eastern part of UP, the panic was not only writ move is going to be the game changer in the next
large on their faces but also became visible in their three months,” felt Rajasthan Chief Minister Sachin
utterances. Its most vocal spokesman Sambit Patra Pilot over much anticipated move. The jubilations in
roared, “Priyanka’s sudden entry shows that the Con- the oldest political party is reflective of their growing
gress party has accepted that Rahul Gandhi has been expectations of galvanizing support of a large number
a flop,” while Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad sought to of youths to the party fold after powerfully planned
dismiss it as “nothing unusual in a family-run party”. roadshows of Priyanka in UP. The elections to the Lok
He even chose to undermine Priyanka’s appointment Sabha are due in April-May this year.
as something “below her persona.” Yet, there could be no denying that her presence
The manner in which even prime minister Modi on the ground would make all the difference to the
reacted to the development and made oblique attacks Congress cadres which have been lying dormant
on the “dynastic” traditions of the Congress, made it ever since it’s most active and hands-on state chief
evident that the panic in the BJP ranks was a bit too Rita Bahuguna Joshi was replaced by Nirmal Khattri.
disproportionate to the impact that Priyanka was Provoked by the move, Bahuguna switched to BJP

tehelka / 15 february 2019 14 www.tehelka.com