New Era of Congress : Priyanka Gandhi-A Gamechanger

A new chapter in Congress Party. To counter the electoral strategies and attractions of BJP, A new weapon was fired by Congress. Gandhi-Nehru s family descendant Priyanka Gandhi has come into live politics. Reason behind this sudden decision might be that India was getting ready for the general election. She was appointed by AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi. Now 49-year-old Rahul Gandhi and 47-year-old Priyanka Gandhi will lead as the two eyes for Congress.

Priyanka Gandhi has always been compared to Late Indira Gandhi and generated a lot of hype for over a decade regarding her political debut.However, it has been part of the political grapevine for over a decade now. Her appointment as the Congress general secretary of Uttar Pradesh East - has set the political circles abuzz. Some observers are calling it a masterstroke ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled in April-May.

CONTESTING FROM RAYABARELI IN COMING ELECTIONS :

As general secretary in charge of UP east, Priyanka will be fighting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his home town, Varanasi and also Jawaharlal Nehru s home town of Allahabad, will now come under Priyanka. Her appointment comes at a time when there has been large-scale speculation on whether she will be the party’s candidate from the Gandhi family for Rae Bareli. The Constituency is currently held by UPA chairperson and Priyanka’s mother, Sonia Gandhi.

Priyanka (47) has campaigned for her brother Rahul Gandhi and Sonia in the past, in Amethi and Rae Bareli respectively, but never contested elections herself . Infact, when the Congress faced a royal drubbing in the 2014 elections and their seats in Lok Sabha fell to a historic low of 44, many believed it was time for Priyanka to step up and save the sinking ship.

CONTEMPORARY OPPONENT FOR MODI ?

Several political experts predicting that Priyanka would have done a better job of taking on the Modi wave than Rahul Gandhi did.
When Rahul s entry into politics was announced in 2004, The general impression was that Priyanka was more articulate, forceful and more charismatic.
Before the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Rahul had failed to defeat the Narendra Modi-led BJP in a single significant election. He also doesn t really have a good track record as an administrator. It is not as if the Congress party had no other option. In fact, the party should have tried the alternative by now: Priyanka Gandhi.Hence, it remains to be seen how she affects the stakes in her new role.

CRAZE IN MEDIA :

Priyanka will be able to turn her attention for media against media-centric focus on Modi. It is likely that Priyanka will become the main point for the more widely used social media. She can grab the attention and attract the youth.

Priyanka is expected to be in the South too. "She has already been recognized for expressing sympathy for the Rajiv Gandhi murderers by meeting in jail. This can impact the Congress and DMK success in the next election. Also, in Kerala and Karnataka, the Congress and its allies will be able to work with a new wave of Priyanka s political entrance.

JYOTIRADITYA - FOR YOUTH ATTRACTION ?

Jyotiraditya Scindia, Leader in UP. A young leader, a good-worded person, having the ability to make decisions with courage will be plus to Congress. He has played a crucial role in turning the young voters towards the Congress in the Madhya Pradesh polls. Giving charge to two fresh faces, each with a cachet of appeal to the Congress and to younger voters tired of caste politics, vicious lynching, administrative inefficiency and trigger-happy law enforcement in the state, the Congress is presenting itself as a serious contender for power. This is a challenge as much to the SP and the BSP, as to the BJP.

WILL UP STATE POLLS EFFECTS ?

An opinion poll said, BJP could lose a quarter of its seats in Lok Sabha with an electoral wipeout in Uttar Pradesh, if the Congress party were to join an opposition alliance there. In the last election, Modi’s BJP won 282 seats in the 545-seat parliament including 73 out of the 80 seats from Uttar Pradesh, a giant northern state of more than 200 million people.BJP lost elections in five state assemblies last year largely because of rural anger about low farm incomes tied to weak crop prices.

Although even without Congress the other opposition parties would still inflict a sizeable defeat on the BJP. An alliance of three Uttar Pradesh parties - SP, BSPand Rashtriya Lok Dal - could win 58 seats without Congress, the poll showed. BJP and its ally in the state, Apna Dal, would win 18 seats in that scenario and Congress would have 4.

NO NEGATIVITY FOR HER :

Despite, Corruption allegances of her husband Robert Vadra, There are no negative aspects for Priyanka when compared to Rahul. This means that the old generation Congress is expected to recover new strength. Participants are predicting that Priyanka can attract youngest, educated, women and first-time voters.

Already many stated that, "From her few public appearances, She’s a better speaker, especially in Hindi, more rooted, more natural. She reminds people of Indira Gandhi. Priyanka appears to be more aggressive, more political. Party caders have regained new energy with Priyanka s entry.

PRIYANKA AS NEXT PM ?

Even though she is currently limited to one part in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress leaders are confident that it will effect on whole country .Bihar sits on the east of Uttar Pradesh, So these two states vote bank changes in contemporary elections. Especially in Hindi states, she will give the Congress a new strength.

Possibility of her becoming PM are fair but dynamics are complex . Modi’s popularity and grip currently he holds over indian psyche, demand to end nepotism in politics , and rising influence of regional parties and leaders that have created a possibility of third front govt, may prove to be a big hurdle for her.