Another Gandhi rises through the ranks in India

NEW DELHI — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s resounding by-election win in the Wayanad district of Kerala state last weekend has energized an opposition Indian National Congress party, keenly awaiting the electoral debut of the 52-year-old heir to the country’s Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.

Her triumph marks a historic moment. For the first time in decades, all three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family — including her mother, Sonia Gandhi, and brother Rahul — are parliamentarians across India’s upper and lower houses.

The Wayanad seat, once held by Rahul, drew nationwide attention when Vadra announced her candidacy in October. Rahul gave up the safe seat — regarded as a Gandhi bastion — to focus on his other constituency, Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. In the pivotal lower house elections earlier in the year, the 54-year-old won both constituencies.

Rahul’s move paved the way for Vadra, who formally joined the party in 2019 as a Congress general secretary, to throw her hat in the ring. Party workers were long eager for her to take on a bigger role, as she is a fifth-generation politician from a family that has given India three prime ministers: Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Vadra’s father, Rajiv Gandhi.

“Like it or not, the Nehru-Gandhi family is the glue that holds Congress together,” said Saurabh Vyas, a co-founder of PoliticalEDGE, a political consultancy firm. “If you remove that glue, the Congress becomes unstuck. It is also the family name that draws loyalists to the party fold.”

Bearing a striking resemblance to her grandmother Indira, Vadra is not only a good orator, but also approachable. For years, Vadra resisted calls by Congress to lead from the front, choosing instead to keep a low profile and raise her two children. But she always stepped in to help manage the party’s affairs in Uttar Pradesh and campaign for her family when needed.

Vadra was credited with helping Congress secure the Gandhi bastions of Amethi and Raebareli in this year’s national elections. The party nearly doubled its seat tally from 52 to 99 after an abysmal showing in the 2019 elections and losing power in 2014 to the Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Apart from burnishing her personal brand — long overshadowed by her more famous family members — analysts say Vadra’s win will position her as a key player within the party.

Congress’s decision to field Vadra in Wayanad underscores its strategy to focus on India’s south, said Manisha Priyam, a political analyst and professor of education policy at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration.

“Wayanad has provided a lifeline to the party following its abysmal showing in the Hindi heartland. However, the seat is viewed as a safe one for the Congress,” Priyam said. “Her campaign basically leveraged that feel-good factor and its traditional allegiance to her party to score a victory.”

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra appears with her brother Rahul Gandhi in June. Her rise to power has prompted speculation of eventual sibling rivalry, but insiders say they get along well.   © Reuters

Party workers stressed that Vadra ran a savvy campaign that resonated with voters, drawing huge crowds, particularly women.

“Her comprehensive outreach combined holding massive public rallies with local door-to-door campaigning to focus on issues like women’s empowerment, farmer concerns and tribal welfare,” said Thomas Jeju, a Congress official, part of Vadra’s campaign. “She’s an excellent orator, too, so it wasn’t difficult for her to strike a chord with people.”

Others warn, though, that being a Gandhi will not be enough to counter the challenge posed by Modi’s ruling BJP. When Vadra secured her win on Nov. 23, the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition made a clean sweep of by-elections in the state of Maharashtra, cementing its dominance in the crucial state.

Congress is also beset by internal dissent, a lack of ideological clarity and an unmotivated rank and file — factors that have weakened it in many states. November’s electoral losses in Maharashtra and Haryana, combined with previous defeats in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, have further eroded party confidence.

Whether Vadra’s Wayanad victory helps the party regain its mojo remains to be seen. Analysts said Congress also will need to consider what it hopes to project with Vadra: whether her role is to strengthen its southern foothold or work on a wider India strategy to slow the BJP juggernaut.

“She’ll be required to oversee the party’s pan-India operations, especially as Rahul Gandhi will be busy playing his role as opposition leader,” Vyas said. “She’ll also be required to step in to campaign aggressively across various states in the coming elections. All this will require a sharp political acumen and the ability to connect with an electorate increasingly skeptical of the Congress’s ability to deliver.”

Speculation also exists over how the Gandhi siblings will carve up their roles within the party and whether they will be blindsided by rivalry. For now, insiders say they have a strong bond, forged as they faced tragedies in the family: the assassinations of Indira in 1984 and Rajiv in 1991.

Vadra also will remain vulnerable to BJP attacks on her wealthy businessman husband, Robert Vadra, who has been accused of tax evasion and making illegal land deals. Her dynastic privilege is under constant scrutiny as well, which some call a double-edged sword.

“There’s no denying that it squashes grassroots leadership and alienates voters seeking fresh alternatives,” Vyas said. “How Vadra turns these liabilities into advantages to navigate the Indian political minefield will be keenly watched.”

source : asia.nikkei