Why Congress needs Priyanka to improve its sagging prospects

New Delhi: Will Priyanka Gandhi campaign for the party in 2014 general elections or not? That's a million dollar question. A section in the party claims that she will campaign all over India to take on Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi and other regional parties. People who claim that they are close to Priyanka say she is yet to make up her mind.

The Congress corridors are abuzz with excitement that the charming 40 years old Priyanka Gandhi will play a lead role in party's electoral battle in 2014. The news has come out as a surprise to many. The Congress workers feel that Priyanka resembles her grandmother the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and she can definitely improve party's sagging prospects.

The clamour for Priyanka has been growing louder ever since the BJP declared Narendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate. A section in the party doubts Priyanka's elder brother and the Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's ability to lead the party in a high decibel campaign. They feel that Priyanka's entry will enthuse a large section of party workers across India and will pose a huge challenge to Narendra Modi's campaign.

Priyanka has been campaigning for her mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her brother Rahul Gandhi in the family bastions of Raebarelly and Amethi. She visits these two constituencies regularly.

She had also campaigned for Sonia Gandhi in Bellary in 1999. Sonia Gandhi took on BJP's Sushma Swaraj in Bellary in 1999.

Priyanka is liked by a large section of Congress workers and supporters across India. Many prefer her over Rahul Gandhi, the heir apparent to the Congress throne. But, she has been very evasive since the beginning. In a 2012 interview to a TV channel, Priyanka denied reports of her joining politics or campaigning for the party.

There is no doubt that the pressure has been building up within the party urging her to move out of family bastions in Uttar Pradesh and take a lead role in Congress's electoral battle across India.

Rahul Gandhi's recent statement warning the old guard in the party that the next government would be run by the younger leaders has also led to speculation over Priyanka's entry.

An angry Congress chief spokesperson, Ajay Maken, quickly dismissed these reports. He said, "The media is twisting the facts. There is no such plan. We categorically deny such reports."

According to high level sources, the Gandhi family has also denied such reports. The BJP was quick to attack the Congress for its alleged dynastic politics. The BJP spokesperson Nirmala Seetharaman said, "The Congress believes in dynastic politics. We have seen what happened in UP Assembly polls, where Priyanka Gandhi campaigned extensively."

It is true that the people will keep speculating about Priyanka Gandhi's entry into politics till the general elections in early 2014.