Priyanka: Insider as outsider – Rajdeep Sardesai

What does this Priyanka mania suggest? Firstly, it reveals the desperate shortage of  telegenic personalities in public life. Faced with a tired and geriatric political class, many of whom are well past their sell-by date, Priyanka clearly stands out. The fact that she is rarely seen, emerging only at election time perhaps enhances her mystique. She is elusive for much of  the year, occasionally being seen at a fashion show or Page 3 event. Elections is when she is catapulted from Page 3 to Page 1 news.

There is also, whether we will willingly admit it or not, an abiding interest in home-spun dynasties (or should we say ‘royalty’). The fact that Priyanka does have a marked resemblance to her grandmother, both in style and attire, is enough to draw parallels with the past. Indira Gandhi may have been a politically polarising figure, but is also perhaps the most- recognisable politician of post-Independence India. A survey done on the occasion of the 60th year of Indian Independence only confirmed, especially in rural areas, that the one leader most Indians could readily identify was Indira amma.

There is also the brother-sister comparison. While Rahul Gandhi’s political style is seen as a mix of  NGO activism and corporate management, Priyanka appears the more touchy-feely kind of individual that the aam aadmi can easily relate to. Certainly, Congress workers who seem to find Rahul distant and unapproachable, appear to identify with Priyanka’s ‘people-friendly’ approach. The media, too, which finds it difficult to interact with Rahul, draws comforting contrasts with Priyanka’s accessibility.

FOR FURTHER READING: