In India, the main opposition party, the Congress, must revive after heavy defeats against Narendra Modi’s BJP. To do this, he is banking on a new figure. Priyanka Gandhi, the daughter of Sonia Gandhi, politician and wife of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, takes her first steps in Parliament.
1 minute
With our correspondent in Bangalore, Como Bastin
Priyanka Gandhi is known to Indians for her membership in the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which has long dominated political life. She participated in the Congress party’s campaigns, but since her election as an MP in Kerala in June, she has made her real entry into political life.
The Congress has long relied on his brother, Rahul Gandhi, against the Hindu nationalist party of Narendra Modi, in power since 2014. But the Congress has just suffered two humiliating defeats, during elections that seemed open, in the state of Haryana and that of Bombay.
The Congress is looking for a new lease of life while some of its allies are now contesting its ability to embody the opposition. It is in this context that Priyanka Gandhi comes out of her reserve, banking on her family prestige and her image as a determined woman.
In Parliament this week, she criticized the BJP for confusing India’s Constitution with the texts of Hindu extremists and neglecting states that do not owe allegiance to it. First steps noted, but more will be needed to save this iconic party of India, now discredited.