New Delhi: It’s early days, but Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s debut Parliament session has fellow Congress leaders, as well as those of other parties, drawing parallels between her and brother Rahul—Leader of the Opposition in 18th Lok Sabha, and a Lower House member since 2004.
Congress sources told ThePrint that Priyanka was among the first from the party to reach Parliament each day throughout the Winter Session.
After word got around that she was at Parliament at 9.30 am sharp in the first week itself, all Congress MPs started coming in early from the very next day, a senior Congress MP told ThePrint on condition of anonymity.
“She is very punctual. Just to meet her in Parliament, many MPs also started coming in early. As a leader, she is accessible to colleagues. Her presence in Parliament along with Rahul Gandhi’s gave a big boost to the party,” said Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Congress MP from Gurdaspur.
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Party leaders ThePrint spoke to also said Priyanka is well-versed in the art of political signalling. She wore a traditional Kerala Kasavu saree to Parliament on the day of her oath ceremony, reminding many of her grandmother Indira Gandhi who once wore a strikingly similar saree.
Next, Priyanka turned heads with her choice of handbags—one emblazoned with the word ‘Palestine’ and symbols of Palestinian solidarity, and another which said: “Bangladesh ke Hindu aur Isaiyon ke saath khade ho (stand with the Hindus and Christians of Bangladesh)”.
“These were customized bags made to be taken to Parliament since the Speaker [of Lok Sabha] was not giving opposition MPs a chance to speak,” said a member of Priyanka’s team who did not wish to be named.
Besides the optics, many in the Congress were also impressed by Priyanka’s oratory skills, both in Parliament and outside.
“She delivered her speech in a very calm and composed tone. She thought on her feet and retorted to interruptions. She humanised the victims by comparing them to her own children. Her interpersonal skills are really good,” Congress MP Karti Chidambaram told ThePrint.
Congress MP Imran Masood added, “Priyanka is a charismatic personality.” The BJP had “no counter” to her maiden speech, said Masood, even claiming he overheard ‘some BJP MPs praising her speech’.
“In her maiden speech she talked about three meetings: with the family of the Unnao rape victim; the widow of Dalit sanitation worker Arun Valmiki who died in police custody in Agra; and violence-hit families in Sambhal,” a second senior Congress MP pointed out, adding this was a bid to mount an outreach to marginalised communities from the floor of the House.
Praise for Priyanka seems to be cutting across party lines, at least for now.
Rajeev Rai, the Samajwadi Party MP from Ghosi, told ThePrint, “She was impressive in her first speech.”
Chandra Shekhar Aazad, Azad Samaj Party MP from Nagina, said he saw Priyanka as an elder sister ever since she visited him while he was hospitalised after being taken into brief police custody in March 2019. “When I first met her in Parliament, she told me, ‘Didi ko bhul gaye ho (you have forgotten your sister).’ I said, ‘How can one forget an elder sister’.”
Priyanka’s debut session in Parliament also led many to draw parallels between her and brother Rahul Gandhi.
“There is a huge difference in Rahul ji and Priyanka ji’s personality. Priyanka has better interpersonal skills. She always asks about one’s family, children and other things apart from politics. She praises others’ speeches and knows how to make an impression,” said a third senior Congress MP.
Adding, “If you notice Rahul Gandhi, he talks less. He is mostly surrounded by senior MPs, usually the same 4-5 faces. Juniors do not get a lot of time to interact with him. He, too, does not initiate much conversation.”
Tanvir Aeijaz, an associate professor at the University of Delhi and vice-president at Centre for Multilevel Federalism (CMF) at Institute of Social Sciences, said it’s too early to draw parallels between the siblings.
“She has just started so it’s unfair to compare her with any senior parliamentarian but she is trying to make statements. Her presentation of optics is better. She is making her position clear on issues related to Palestine and Bangladesh. She is very clear with what she is doing,” he said.
“Priyanka Gandhi has shown her potential in her maiden speech even though her statements in the media were also calculated. If the Congress uses her more to attack the BJP, it will be helpful for the party also because many BJP leaders did not react harshly to her speech, the way they attack Rahul,” said Shilp Shikha Singh, an assistant professor at the Department of Political Science at Lucknow’s Giri Institute of Development Studies.
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