Neta Priyanka Gandhi: A masterstroke for Congress or a case of too little, too late?

That Priyanka Gandhi will make the political plunge was almost a certainty. However, the whens and hows of it has been part of the political grapevine for over a decade now.

So Gandhi’s formal entry into active politics – via her appointment as the Congress general secretary of Uttar Pradesh East -- has set the political circles abuzz.

Some observers are calling it a masterstroke ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled in April-May. Others are dismissing it as a case of too little, too late.

The reaction from the political parties are predictable. Congress President Rahul Gandhi said, "Through these youth leaders, we want to change politics of UP. We are confident that Priyanka will bring out Congress' ideology. Mujhe personally bahut khushi ho rahi hai ki woh ab mere saath kaam karengi, woh bahut karmat hain. BJP wale ghabraaye hue hain."

Meanwhile, Gandhi’s appointment gives the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) further ammo for its 'parivaar hi party' attack.

“I congratulate Congress for announcing that Rahul has failed. They have done this by elevating Priyanka Gandhi. We are witnessing how Congress is going out of favour in various states. Congress is focused only on one family,” BJP spokesperson said.

Priyanka versus PM Modi?

Her appointment has led to the question: Should Modi-Shah be worried?

As general secretary in charge of UP east, Priyanka will be taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his home turf, Varanasi.

Her appointment comes at a time when there has been large-scale speculation on whether she will be the party’s candidate from the Gandhi family bastion of Rae Bareli. The constituency is currently held by UPA chairperson and Priyanka’s mother, Sonia Gandhi.

Priyanka (47) has campaigned for her brother Rahul Gandhi and Sonia in the past, in Amethi and Rae Bareli respectively, but never contested elections herself or held any party posts.

Hence, it remains to be seen how she affects the stakes in her new role.

Too little, too late

Several political experts have long maintained that Priyanka would have done a better job of taking on the Modi wave than Rahul Gandhi did.

When Rahul's entry into politics was announced in 2004, it left many baffled. “It is a baffling decision. The general impression was that Priyanka was more articulate, forceful and more charismatic. I am not sure anyone knows what the real story is. Perhaps, it is more personal or family-related,” academic Pratap Bhanu Mehta had told the BBC.

Fifteen years later, not counting the Congress’ recent poll successes, Rahul Gandhi has not made any significant achievements. He tried to revive the party’s youth wing, improve its organisation in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, give the party's ideology coherent relevance — but has largely failed.

Before the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Rahul had failed to defeat the Narendra Modi-led BJP in a single significant election. He also doesn't really have a good track record as an administrator.

It is not as if the Congress party had no other option. In fact, the party should have tried the alternative by now: Priyanka Gandhi.

For years, the official narrative was that Priyanka is staying away from politics because she’s raising her children. After the children grew up, the standard explanation was she would join politics when she wants to. At one point, she had told reporters, “It could be next week”, and laughed.

The patriarchy angle

When time came for Sonia Gandhi to pass the baton, it was Rahul over Priyanka. This wouldn't be the first instance in Indian politics where sons have been chosen above daughters, skills or capabilities notwithstanding.

In Tamil Nadu, Kanimozhi was sidestepped and MK Stalin was heir apparent to DMK patriarch Karunanidhi. In Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad chose son Tejashwi over daughter Misa Bharti.

A senior political commentator had observed, "From her few public appearances, Priyanka appears to be a smarter politician than Rahul.  She’s a better speaker, especially in Hindi, more rooted, more natural. She reminds people of Indira Gandhi. Nobody says Rahul reminds them of even his father Rajiv. Priyanka appears to be more aggressive, more political."

When the Congress faced a royal drubbing in the 2014 elections and their seat count in Lok Sabha fell to a historic low of 44, many believed it was time for Priyanka to step up and save the sinking ship.

The Robert Vadra factor

Priyanka Gandhi has often been called the Congress' "trump card". And there have been quite a few instances in the recent past, especially since BJP expressed their intent of a 'Congress-mukt Bharat', when the party could have used the purported ace up their sleeve.

Why, then, was Priyanka's political debut so delayed? Some political experts feel it is the 'Robert Vadra' factor. Gandhi’s husband – a businessman from Moradabad -- has been accused of corruption, with the litany of cases against him often being seen as a liability for the Gandhi family.

Now that Priyanka has entered the fray, the BJP-led governments are sure to rake up Vadra as a means to discredit her.

Priyanka Gandhi has always been compared to her brother and generated a lot of hype for over a decade regarding her political debut. Now, only time will tell whether she is, indeed, the better alternative, or a case of bandh-mutthi, as they would say in the heartland.