Symbol supply, Getty ImagesImage caption, Priyanka Gandhi has been campaigning for the Congress birthday celebration for many years however formally entered politics in 2019Article informationAuthor, Meryl SebastianRole, BBC Information, Kochi18 June 2024, 06:44 BSTUpdated 2 hours agoPriyanka Gandhi, sister of India’s primary opposition Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, is ready to contest her first election, finishing a long time of anticipation by way of her supporters. Ms Gandhi is a descendant of the Nehru-Gandhi circle of relatives, India’s most famed political dynasty, and her electoral debut might be intently watched.The 52-year-old will contest the Wayanad seat within the southern Indian state of Kerala after her brother relinquishes it.A win for Ms Gandhi would imply the presence of all 3 Gandhi members of the family within the Indian parliament.Her mom Sonia Gandhi, former president of the Congress birthday celebration, is an MP within the Rajya Sabha, the higher area of the parliament.Her brother Mr Gandhi received the hot parliamentary elections from each Wayanad and Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli seats.Mr Gandhi, who has represented Wayanad as an MP since 2019, is giving it up as he can most effective retain one parliamentary seat beneath Indian legislation. On Monday, he thanked the folk of Wayanad for his or her “love, affection and enhance”.A date for the by-election is but to be introduced however Ms Gandhi says she is “no longer apprehensive in any respect”.”I’m more than pleased as a way to constitute Wayanad and I will be able to no longer allow them to really feel his [Rahul Gandhi’s] absence,” she mentioned on Monday. “I will be able to paintings onerous and I will be able to check out my very best to make everybody glad and be a excellent consultant.”The by-election will mark the tip of a decades-long wait by way of Congress supporters for Ms Gandhi’s involvement in electoral politics.Symbol supply, Getty ImagesImage caption, A win for Ms Gandhi (status between her brother and mom) would imply the presence of all 3 Gandhi members of the family within the Indian parliamentJournalist Javed Ansari, who has reported at the Congress birthday celebration for many years, instructed BBC Hindi that he used to be no longer stunned by way of the announcement. “I feel it used to be a query of when [she would contest] and no longer if,” he mentioned. For years, Ms Gandhi used to be regarded as the extra well-liked of the Gandhi siblings with many blaming the “lacklustre management” of her brother for a string of Congress defeats between 2014 and 2019.From an early age, other folks have pointed to Ms Gandhi’s resemblance to her grandmother and previous high minister Indira Gandhi. Ms Gandhi used to be actively concerned within the election campaigns of her mom from the overdue Nineties. She additionally campaigned for her brother when he actively joined politics in 2004. Senior leaders have praised her political acumen and her aptitude for enticing with other folks.Ms Gandhi’s reliable access into politics got here when she used to be put in command of the Congress marketing campaign within the japanese a part of Uttar Pradesh state, forward of the 2019 basic election. The Congress went on to accomplish poorly in that election and the state meeting polls in 2022, however Ms Gandhi used to be no longer blamed. Senior birthday celebration leaders mentioned the efficiency used to be no longer a mirrored image of her paintings and in keeping with their expectancies.Appointed Congress’ basic secretary in 2019, Ms Gandhi has since overseen the birthday celebration’s campaigns in different state elections.Celebration leaders say she’s been an important in stabilising the Congress executive in Himachal Pradesh state this yr amid revolt by way of a few of its personal lawmakers. She used to be additionally at the vanguard of the Congress’s marketing campaign in Uttar Pradesh state – the place opposition events carried out strangely neatly – and particularly within the Gandhi circle of relatives bastions of Amethi and Rae Bareli.”She held the fortress for Rahul and that’s how he may just marketing campaign around the nation,” Mr Ansari mentioned.Political commentator Neerja Chowdhury mentioned it could be attention-grabbing to look the siblings in parliament in combination if Ms Gandhi wins. “In my opinion, I feel Priyanka is savvier of the 2. She thinks on her toes and her language is clearer than his,” she mentioned, including that she might be “watched very intently”.Symbol supply, Getty ImagesImage caption, Priyanka Gandhi has been a large draw for her birthday celebration for decadesCongress leaders and staff in Kerala have expressed happiness at the opportunity of having Ms Gandhi as an MP from Wayanad. ND Ayyappan, president of the birthday celebration committee within the district, mentioned: “It signifies that the circle of relatives will proceed its ties with the folk of Wayanad.”The ruling Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) has criticised dynastic politics in line with information of Ms Gandhi’s electoral debut.”Congress isn’t a birthday celebration however a circle of relatives industry,” BJP chief Shehzad Poonawalla mentioned.However the announcement of her candidacy won reward from Annie Raja, a member of the Communist Celebration of India (CPI) who had contested in opposition to Mr Gandhi in Wayanad within the fresh election.Ms Raja, who misplaced the election by way of a margin of over 360,000 votes, didn’t ascertain whether or not she would run in opposition to Ms Gandhi within the by-election. However she mentioned, “We want an increasing number of ladies in parliament.”
