The sindoor in Priyanka’s sari

On July 29, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra almost reintroduced herself to her party and the country. Her speech in the Lok Sabha during the debate on Operation Sindoor was sharp and angry. She was wearing red, the colour of power and sindoor. She dwelled on issues that are close to people’s hearts. She talked about the lack of security for tourists in Pahalgam, intelligence failure and the Modi government’s lack of accountability.

It’s well known that the Congress has been divided between the supporters of Rahul Gandhi, 55, and Priyanka, 53. In 2004, when Rahul first fought the election from Amethi, I asked a Congress leader what made Sonia choose Rahul over Priyanka. He responded simply: “What would any Indian mother do? Italian mothers are quite like Indian mothers. Both are possessive about their son."

In early 2006 at the AICC plenary in Hyderabad, considered to be the turning point in the Nehru-Gandhi family’s attempt to control and reshape the Congress, about 12000 Congresspersons cried for elevating Rahul Gandhi to the top job. The party had already been in power for some 20 months and the Hyderabad session was aimed at consolidating the Gandhi mystique.

When Rahul spoke, it was brief: “I am still learning the ropes.” He looked reluctant, modest and cautious. I asked a leader: “If Rahul is so reluctant and behaving like an outsider, why aren’t leaders demanding that Priyanka lead the party?" He said, “Arre, yehi to dikkat hai. Give us anyone from the Nehru-Gandhi family. We can shape him or her into a national leader, but Priyanka’s surname is Vadra. In the hoardings, the Gandhi name will work wonders, not Vadra." It was a chilling explanation.

Priyanka carries the pain of Karna. She is a mere party general secretary without portfolio. The party, in a deep crisis, has kept her on the margins. Her talent remains unused.

She has a better grasp of the Hindi heartland. She speaks fluent Hindi. Above all, Priyanka has in dollops the quality that matters most in Indian politics: flexibility. After she was elected from Wayanad, Kerala, she did not hesitate to meet Home Minister Amit Shah for a small issue regarding her constituency.

Certainly, Priyanka has angularities. Her alleged mood swings are an occasional source of conversation. But she understands well how to use power — with ease and authority. In contrast, Rahul Gandhi proudly believes he’s an outsider within his party. He is also stubborn and can go to any extent to prove his point even if it hurts the party interest.

Priyanka seems to have inherited the old Congress culture. She meets all leaders with ease. Rahul keeps them at a distance.

But the party insider insisted that the siblings enjoy the best of relations. Rahul recently claimed, “When my sister speaks, I know what she is thinking. And when I speak, she knows what’s going on in my mind.” The family of three remains united. The BJP has not been able to exploit the differences in their approaches.

Moreover, in his first two terms, Modi did not take any serious action in the cases against Robert Vadra in the Haryana land deals. This shows that the BJP is aware that it would have helped Priyanka gain sympathy. The government understands the importance of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

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