Party’s support? Check. Family behind the back? Check. Unflappable temperament? Check. Oratorical talent? Check. ‘Outsider’ tag? A matter of contention, maybe!
Announcement of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the Congress candidate for the Wayanad bypolls, followed by filing of nomination and beginning of a high-voltage campaign on Wednesday can be long overdue but the development has not come as a bolt from the blue.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had penned a letter to Wayanad when he was going to represent Raebareli in the Parliament, which has led to this bypoll.
He expressed his gratitude to Wayanad through the letter for believing a “stranger”, who got the opportunity to become a parliamentarian when Amethi took that opportunity from him in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
In such a scenario, Rahul’s replacement Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also a ‘stranger’ to the constituency.
And whether or not people of Wayanad will come for the rescue of a stranger/outsider — once again? — is tough to predict.
This doubt even finds resonance with the vote margin with which Rahul Gandhi won in 2024 general elections.
Leader of Opposition won general elections 2024 from Wayanad with a margin of 3.64 lakhs which is a slip from 2019 Lok Sabha polls which was 4.60 lakh votes.
The numbers suggest that the confidence exuded on an ‘outsider’ has diminished with time.
As far as Priyanka Gandhi is concerned, she is making her election debut, albeit she has a poll campaigning experience of over 30 years.
One wonders how far this equation will help her in winning Wayanad.
Moreover, the narrative of ‘outsider’ versus ‘insiders’ (homegrown faces) is integral to Wayanad bypolls.
Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Navya Haridas and Sathyan Mokeri, who has been fielded by the Communist Party of India for the by-elections, have an edge over Priyanka for their prior connection with the state.
Haridas, at present, is serving as a councillor in the Kozhikode municipal corporation and is the state general secretary of the BJP’s Mahila Morcha, the women’s wing of the party.
She is an engineering graduate who grew up in a family affiliated with the Sangh Parivar. Haridas, too, participated in RSS student activities.
On the other hand, CPI(M)’s Mokeri contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls but finished second to the Congress candidate.
He is a party veteran and familiar to people of Wayanad.
Although the ‘outsider’ narrative has taken shape owing to the background of Priyanka's contenders in the bypolls, it is difficult to come to a conclusion at present.
Moreover, if Priyanka Gandhi wins, this would become a footnote in the history books as a mother and two of her children will be in Parliament concurrently.
The more urgent question is whether this prospect will prompt Rahul Gandhi to finally commit himself to offering his services as the Leader of the Opposition.
And whatever role Priyanka Gandhi will assume — apart from representing Wayanad — it should be such that would optimise her talents.
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