Just weeks before polling's scheduled to begin in UP, the Congress brought in Priyanka to visit Rae Bareli and Amethi, where she's just wrapped up a tour. Its idea seems to be to use her charisma, popularly referred to as the 'Priyanka factor', to make up for its deficiencies in UP - lack of a robust organisation and dedicated grassroots cadre. It appears to think it can perennially depend on the Nehru-Gandhis as its trump card to woo voters. But, if she's truly committed to her party's cause, it must be asked why Priyanka goes into political hibernation between elections.
Politics is a full-time job - Times of India
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Can voters be swayed just by parading star campaigners during elections? Celebrities may attract crowds, but whether they actually affect voter preferences is debatable. Today, political parties of all hues need more than star power to influence the electorate. In that sense, pitching Priyanka as the Congress`s star campaigner won't always work. It is an unsustainable campaign model: anyone who adopts it shows she lacks accountabi-lity and long-term commitment to voters and treats politics as a part-time flirtation. Besides, too much faith may be put on the Priyanka factor to boost the party's fortunes. Without organisational strength and dependable caste equations to back up its prospects, brandishing the Nehru-Gandhi card may even become a liability. It's true that Priyanka has an affable and pleasing personality that reminds people of Indira Gandhi. But that's precisely why she ought to take up a more prominent and proactive role within the party. As an inspiration, she need look nowhere else but at her brother Rahul Gandhi. The Gandhi scion has been working hard to galvanise party workers and to strike a chord with the masses across India. Having Priyanka as a full-time politician by his side will be a huge asset.Politics is a full-time job - Times of India
