She may not be contesting the elections. She may even have spurned calls by Congress leaders to become “yuva hridayon ki dhadkan” (the heartbeat of the youth, as one UP politician described her). But Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is the undisputed mascot of the Congress candidates in the twin constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli, considered the pocket boroughs of the Gandhi-Nehru family.
When a mobile phone rings in the two constituencies, it is Priyanka’s recorded speech at the other end, that the holder can hear.
The campaign is similar to the one launched by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2004 elections when the receiver of the call used to hear “Main Atal Bihari Vajpayee bol raha hoon”.
Priyanka’s pitch is both respectful and grateful. “Amethi and Rae Bareli are not only our work place but also a sacred place for us,” she says in her clip, adding: “We will never be able to pay back the respect which you have given to us all our lives.”
Priyanka’s campaign is limited to the two constituencies where her brother and mother are contesting from. She is not campaigning for the party, but only for the members of the family.
The party, however, does not plan to use the clip in any other constituency.
More From This Section
Sources said Priyanka’s clips were being used as she could not be with her mother and brother when they filed their nominations due to the death of her father-in-law, Rajender Vadra, recently.
“People here love Priyanka — her way of interaction, her spontaneity, her charm and her wit,” said a senior Congress leader here.
Priyanka’s hold on the electorate of the area can also be gauged from the fact that when she campaigned for party leader Satish Sharma ahead of the 1999 elections, the latter had won.
Ironically, the Congress had lost two consecutive elections from the constituency in 1996 and 1998, once even the deposit of the party’s candidate was forfeited.
Priyanka will be the chief campaign manager of both Amethi and Rae Bareli and is expected to reach there on April 10.
She started campaigning and camping in the area since 1999 when Sonia Gandhi contested from Amethi for the first time. Since then, she is taking care of the two constituencies and has emerged as the “most popular” face of the party in this belt of Uttar Pradesh.