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Editor’s Note

Is Priyanka Gandhi’s debut

in politics a masterstroke or

much ado about nothing?

Priyanka Gandhi’s formal entry would not be easy dynastic transition but trial by fire as
into politics and assertion by Rahul she takes formal charge as Congress general secretary
Gandhi that the Congress will not incharge of eastern UP in February 4 after a holy dip
play on the back foot anywhere, in the river Ganges at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on
shows that the grand old party the occasion of Mauni Amavasya and the Shahi Snan.
wants to capitalise on the charis- The territory assigned to Priyanka encompasses from
ma that she exudes. It also wants to Maharajganj and Kushi Nagar in the east to Dhaurahra
capitalise on Priyanka’s resemblance and Kheri in west-central adjoining Pilibhit and Rampur.
to her grandmother to en cash upon After failing to make a mark since1989, the party regis-
Indira Gandhi’s enduring appeal. Rahul has done well tered victories from 21 Lok Sabha seats in 2009. How the
in the recent past but the party was still missing the ‘X party performs post Priyanka’s entry would be watched
factor’ which has been key to its previous electoral vic- with interest. Will the shift in the Congress strategy
tories. Priyanka has been ushered in to end that defi- upset applecart of Mayawati and Mamata who were
cit. The parachuting of Priyanka Gandhi into the 2019 hoping to be major players to make a bid for the PM’s
battlefield has caused a flutter with BJP president Amit post? The Congress has retired bureaucrat and for-
Shah introducing a new version of OROP or One Rank mer associate of Mayawati, PL Punia on its side and he
One Pension targeting Congress president Rahul Gan- knows Uttar Pradesh like the palm of one’s hand. Elec-
dhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi. Former Jammu and tions in UP are a rare mix of star quality, caste math, lofty
Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah retorted with the acronym slogans and national and local issues. On oratory front,
ODOMOS-Overdose of Only Modi Only Shah. PM Narendra Modi wins hands down but the rhetoric of
However, Priyanka has a stiff challenge at hand. achhe din may be missing in this election. For Priyanka
On the one side is the fully entrenched trios of Modi- Gandhi, the Congress needs to have a reality check be-
Shah-Yogi and on the other the formidable SP-BSP-RLD. cause a generation has emerged as voters since the days
While the former has well-oiled machinery to rely, of Indira Gandhi. For grand old party, there are road-
the latter has proved its mettle in two recent crucial blocks aplenty and on top of all comes the lack of organ-
by-elections. Little doubt that this combine left just two izational apparatuses. Is Priyanka factor, a masterstroke
seats of Rai Bareilly and Amethi for Congress, consider- or the Shakespearean “Much Ado about Nothing”!
ing Congress worthy of as many seats. For Priyanka, it (chARAnjIt AhujA)

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Volume 16, Issue no. 3, 1-15 february 2019, RELEASEd on 1 february, numbER oF pAgES IncLudIng covER 68
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