Priyanka Gandhi’s much publicized launch fails to provide any dividends to Congress in UP

Priyanka Vadra, a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family and wife of controversial business mogul, Robert Vadra was appointed as the General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East amidst much fanfare. The party, keeping up with the sole ideology of dynastic politics envisaged this move to help achieve wonders in the most politically crucial state of the country. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be taking place quite as expected. Congress has been vying to be a part of the Mahagathbandhan or better yet described as the Mahamilavat to contest the UP elections alongside BSP and SP; joining hands with Akshilesh Yadav and Mayawati.

It is a known fact that BJP has the strongest hold over the state, evident from their win of 71 seats out of the total number of 80 Lok Sabha seats in 2014. Meanwhile, SP and Congress won a total of 5 and 2 seats respectively; while BSP managed to get a big fat zero. Moreover, with the surge of nationalism in the country and BJP’s priority of security and defence has made them even more popular than they were in 2014.  In such a situation, the unfavoured parties are running helter skelter, in a bid to ally with each other in a situation where in their survival is being questioned with the only common party ideology being that of hatred for BJP and a belief in dynastic politics.

However, our grand old party is not getting to join in the jamboree, at least not in the way they want to. The party’s top leadership, which was initially eyeing 20 seats, has now come round to the view that 12 would be a respectable number in the event of the alliance. Priyanka Vadra was appointed in this hope that her entry will revive the party’s fortune in UP in terms of alliance talks with the SP-BSP. Unfortunately for them, the SP-BSP Gathbandhan isn’t even willing to accommodate their reduced demand. They are prepared to accord them a total of 2 seats, those of Rae Bareli and Amethi- the constituencies of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and his mother, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi which the congress already exercises power over. Akhilesh Yadav stated, “Congress is also with the alliance as it is contesting two seats Rae Bareli and Amethi.” 

Priyanka Vadra’s appointment has failed to secure any seats in the alliance. SP-BSP had already made it clear that they will not field any candidate against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in these constituencies even if there was no alliance. So this offer of an alliance with 2 seats makes no significance and is just façade to show fake courtesy. Unfortunately for our Grand Old Party, the privileged daughter’s charms and fabled political acumen has failed to achieve anything of consequence for Congress in the alliance talks. Priyanka Vadra has been unable to achieve even the smallest of party goals such as convincing a couple of opportunistic, once arch enemies, now allied ruffians; to ally with her. This speaks volumes about the kind of impact Priyanka Vadra is going to have on the voters in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.