Priyanka Gandhi: A Star Campaigner And Fiery Orator

Rumoured to take the baton from mother and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi has opted out of contesting the Lok Sabha elections. The Gandhi family has a deep connection with the district, going all the way back to the 1952 elections, when former PM Indira Gandhi’s husband, Feroze Gandhi, won the Lok Sabha elections. Sonia Gandhi won her first election from the seat in 2004 and has maintained her stronghold over it since then.

Now a vacant seat, local Congress leaders and supporters have been rooting for Priyanka, with posters reading, “Rae Bareli pukarti Priyanka Gandhi ji aaye (Raebareli calls, Priyanka Gandhi come).” Known to be a brilliant orator and a star campaigner, Priyanka has never shied away from taking on PM Modi and criticising him.

Despite the political royalty she came from, Priyanka preferred to stay in the shadows for several years. In the early years of her political career, Priyanka assisted the election campaigns of her mother Sonia in Rae Bareli and her brother Rahul in Amethi. During this time, she amassed local support in the constituencies by regularly visiting and interacting with the residents directly. Her official entry into politics occurred with her being appointed as the AICC general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh in 2019. A year later, she became the party’s general secretary for the entire state.

The state’s assembly elections of 2022 were fought under the leadership of Priyanka. Having pursued psychology and a master’s in Buddhist studies, Priyanka highlighted issues of women’s empowerment and their participation in politics. However, despite her attempts, Congress only won 2 seats out of the 403 assembly seats in the state.

Now once again, the star campaigner has decided not to make her entry into electoral politics, but she continues to hold election campaigns across states and give fiery speeches in an attempt to strengthen the party.

The grand old party has nominated Rahul Gandhi for the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat, while Kishori Lal Sharma has been fielded for the Amethi seat.