With Priyanka Gandhi Vadra making her electoral debut in Lok Sabha, for the first time in decades, all three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family – Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, and Priyanka – are now in Parliament. She will now be sitting in Lok Sabha along with her brother Rahul Gandhi, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the House. Their mother, Sonia Gandhi, is a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan.
The question now is whether her entry will boost the image of the party and give a new direction to Congress which is the need of the day. Priyanka took an oath holding up a copy of the Constitution and began her journey as an elected representative of the people five years after she joined politics. The 52-year-old, clad in a Kasavu saree displayed the grace and body language of her grandmother, the former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi.
It now remains to be seen whether she would be able to follow Indira Gandhi in contributing her intelligence and talent to the Parliament. Indira Gandhi, who very rarely lost her cool in the Parliament, was proactive, had a great quality of a real leader and the patience to hear the voice of the opposition and the talent to turn the tables on her opponents. Indira Gandhi had a very good sense of humour and courage to face criticism and defend the party and government.
Though when she entered politics, her own partymen thought she was a “Gudiya,” (a doll) she proved that she was the real iron lady with grace, beauty and great intelligenc.
