The Dynasty's Last Lap

January 13, 2003 00:00 IST The Dynasty's Last Lap -0001-11-30T00:00:00+05:53

When Congress MLAs from UP met party president Sonia Gandhi last fortnight, it was only to be expected that the subject of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's induction into active politics would crop up. Post-Gujarat, nervous Congressmen (like former UPCC chief Sri Prakash Jaiswal) have been telling the press that it was incumbent on the Gandhi siblings to rush to the rescue of the party in a time of crisis. But the meeting ended on a note of sycophancy, with the MLAs assuring Sonia that the children were welcome but not necessary.

Although it's widely acknowledged that Sonia's foreign-origin tag makes it difficult for her to carry conviction with voters high on Hindutva, no one has as yet openly suggested that the solution is the induction of one or both of the Gandhi scions. Privately, many of the younger leaders are convinced that the entry of Priyanka or Rahul would boost the party's morale and provide the Congress with the only possible answer to Hindutva's emotive appeal. They are "pure swadeshi" and unsullied by scandal.

Rahul has shifted to Delhi after a long stint in...