Priyanka Gandhi Vadra: Congress Embraces Leadership Duality
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra with family members in parliament. Image credit Congress
Parliament Sheds Spotlight on Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
By Raisina Correspondent
New Delhi, November 28: The Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday took path as a member of the Lok Sabha. Vadra came to the lower house of parliament in cream white sari. She has been donning a hairstyle reminding of late Indira Gandhi, India’s former prime minister.
Holding a pocket Constitution book, Vadra swore to the oath as a member of the Lok Sabha. With smile on her face, she folded her hands to greet deputy leader of the Lok Sabha Rajnath Singh.
The treasury benches watched Vadra taking oath with keen attention. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari sported broad smile while Vadra walked to the table to sign the register after taking the oath as the member.
The Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge profusely blessed Vadra after her oath taking ceremony. The Congress parliamentary party president Sonia Gandhi welcomed her daughter in the office in parliament. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi showered his affections on his sister in the parliamentary party office of the Congress.
It also has become a first occasion that three members of the Gandhi family have become members of parliament at the same time. Sonia Gandhi is now a Rajya Sabha MP. She was elected to the upper house of parliament from Rajasthan.
With Vadra entering into parliament, the media attention on Thursday was the new member of the Gandhi family in the Lok Sabha. While Vadra has entered parliament, Rahul Gandhi succeeding to the political legacy of his mother Sonia Gandhi is well known.
“Vadra will largely be in a supporting role in parliament. She will be a listening post for the Congress MPs in parliament. Her accessibility to the Congress MPs may boost the communication within the party ranks,” said Deepak Upreti, a senior political observer.
Upreti at the same time cautioned against overreading into the event, saying that “Vadra will have to show her impact more on the ground than just symbolism”. He argued that Vadra will need to fill the gaps in the leadership with her active role in parliament.
Vadra has come to parliament after staying in the shadow of her brother for almost two decades. She had been nursing parliamentary constituencies of her brother. Vadra looked after the Amethi and Wayanad Lok Sabha seats on behalf of her brother.
But Vadra has now entered the electoral politics. She had also been campaigning for the Congress in elections. The political observers argued that Vadra will need to assert her contributions in the Congress to justify her becoming a member of the Lok Sabha.
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