Special: Why Rahul Gandhi chose North and Priyanka went South

The Gandhi family is tightening its grip on the Congress. The grand old party has been centred around the family since the ascent of Indira Gandhi as the most powerful Congress leader in the 1970s. The family was relegated to the sidelines in the 1990s when PV Narasimha Rao, the shrewd political leader from Andhra Pradesh, came to head both the party and the government. 

That was one significant era in the history of the Congress in the post-independence period when it looked like being totally bereft of the family. But Rao couldn't complete the mission, as he failed to lead the party to victory in the 1996 general elections in the aftermath of the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

That paved the way for the rise of Sonia Gandhi. There was no looking back for the family once she took over. Rao was even denied a burial in Delhi, the place from where he opened up Indian economy, heralding the era of neo economic liberalisation which ultimately meant the rejection of the Nehruvian ideas of mixed economy. 

Sonia tried to bring back the Nehruvian world when she sat over the UPA as its chairperson. The employment guarantee scheme (NREGA), the right to information act and the right to education act were the steps in this direction. One thing that Sonia ensured during this period was the domination of the family over the party. She became the power centre. Any leader, be it Sharad Pawar, Tariq Anwar or P A Sangma or K Karunakaran, who revolted against her leadership, was shown the door.

When the party suffered a humiliating defeat in 2019, it seemed the family may step back. The resignation of Rahul from the presidency of the Congress sent the rumour mills into overdrive to weave colourful stories of the imminent withdrawal of the family. But Sonia had other plans. She took up the reins once again and waited patiently for the return of her son. 

Now, the moment has come for the ascent of Rahul Gandhi once again as the official power centre of the Congress. He is expected to take over as the leader of the opposition very soon. The fact that Rahul has decided to retain Rae Bareli is a clear indication of this route.

Indira Gandhi had faced such a dilemma in 1980. She was then elected from both Medak and Rae Bareli. She decided to retain Medak instead of Rae Bareli. That was basically a personal choice. She had the bitter memory of losing Rae Bareli in 1977 after the emergency. She felt that there was no need to retain a constituency that didn't stand by her at a very crucial point of time.

But Rahul's decision is political. The Hindutva political project was not this belligerent during Indira's time. The RSS had always tried to keep Indira in good humour even though she never gave up her firm belief in the pluralism of India. The scenario has undergone a paradigm shift now. Rahul Gandhi and Congress can no longer afford to ignore the Hindi belt, which forms the formidable bastion of the Sangh Parivar. 

The fact is that Rahul does not have the luxury of a choice here. He has to be there in UP as his party is taking on the BJP head on where it matters the most.

The Congress high command sees Priyanka as their best guarantee in Kerala, where the Sangh Parivar is gearing up for a battle that it thinks would saffronise the southernmost state in another 10 years. The Congress high command must be thinking that Priyanka would be its bulwark against the Sangh's plan of marshalling a powerful alliance of the Hindus and the Christians thereby upsetting the bipolar algorithm of the present political orientation of Kerala. 

It also means that Priyanka will lead the party's campaign in the assembly elections in 2026 in the state. Both the LDF and the NDA have much to worry about in the coming days. She will play a very crucial role in deciding the Congress's CM candidate in the next election.

The entry of Priyanka also makes it crystal clear that Wayanad will be the second pocket borough of the Gandhi family after Rae Bareli. The safest seat for any Congress candidate in Kerala will now be reserved for the Gandhi scion by all means. It will also pave the way for the epochal moment when Parliament will witness three members of the same family being present for the first time in its history.