Ifs and buts ... Politics --- 2025 --- Yogi Adityanath and Priyanka Gandhi

In a vibrant democracy like India answers to many political questions lie in the womb of time. For the coming year 2025 -- as of now less than a week to go before we bid goodbye to 2024 -- there is a question certainly -- How will Yogi Adityanath and Priyanka Gandhi play out their respective roles in their respective parties. 

One of them is in the BJP and the other in Congress. There is nothing common between the two or in their political roadmaps and approaches -- yet both will be keenly watched. 

One thing that could be common is how will the respective parties allow them to play up. 

First Priyanka Gandhi. Her electoral debut and the maiden speech in Lok Sabha has stirred a debate on whether she spoke "better" than her brother Rahul Gandhi -- who is the real power centre in Congress thanks to their mother Sonia Gandhi's unbridled and to an extent unnecessary mother's love.  

That he is Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha has less to do with his virtue and qualification then the all powerful dynasty factor. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also MP due to nepotism in politics but her maiden speech while initiating the debate on behalf of the Congress on Indian Constitution sounded sobre and more reasonable than her brother. 

Rahul Gandhi himself did a comparison with his 'pappu pass ho gaya' speech during the UPA regime. Those were blessed days for the Congress as UPA was in power. 

During UPA-I, the then Speaker Somnath Chatterjee stood and sat all ready to 'appreciate' Rahul Gandhi. The next UPA Speaker Meira Kumar had given Rahul the liberty to talk for more than 10 minutes to deliver a 'Rashtra ke naam sandesh (as Sushma Swaraj later said)' while speaking on a Zero Hour mention.  

Priyanka entered Lok Sabha at a time when the Modi Govt is again on a 'strong wicket' after assembly polls wins in Haryana and Maharashtra. Yet generally speaking she sounded sobre while being not personal and yet attacked the BJP and its policies.  

But she also did silly things - albeit deliberately - as she came one day to Parliament session with a bag written 'Palestine' on it. That was pro-Muslim tilt her party loves to take always. This was an international issue did not bother her much.

What message is Congress giving to Israel did not bother her too. Next day, they said she brought her another bag and tried to give a message to 'Hindus and other minorities' in Bangladesh. These might not work much in today's politics. 

But now the more important question -- will she gradually emerge a 'stronger' face in the Congress. And perhaps more importantly, can she lead Indian politics to a battle between Narendra Modi and Priyanka Gandhi. 

And perhaps the most important point is will Rahul Gandhi and the Congress allow Priyanka Gandhi to do so. 

Now let us try to look at what and where Yogi Adityanath stands for. In 2017 when he firs became Chief Minister - no one presumed he could handle governance and especially UP's goondaism so well. In 2022, talks surfaced that there are differences between him and the Modi-Shah duo. 

This could have impacted BJP prospects in the crucial assembly polls. A master in reading people's pulse, Narendra Modi read that well and he posed for a lovely snap with the UP Chief Minister keeping his hands on Yogi's shoulder. The photo-magic worked. The BJP won the all important battle again. 

But the talks about differences between Yogi and Amit Shah surfaced yet again in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. This time many candidates 'selected' by Yogi were allegedly sidelined and denied tickets. Modi made a statement about non-biological stuff and even the RSS withdrew itself from the battle, 

The saffron party's Lok Sabha tally dropped and in Uttar Pradesh - there was a straight loss of as many as 29 seats,  While the Modi-Shah duo were upset, somewhere knives were out for Yogi also and for a few days Keshav Prasad Maurya camped in Delhi perhaps hoping if he could replace Yogi in the throne of Lucknow. 

But both Modi and Shah were clever enough to avoid any such adventurism. In by-polls that was necessitated as sitting legislators had won parliamentary polls in June; Yogi strike back. He too bounced back with a neo-enthusiasm as Amit Shah gas done for his part with wins in Maharashtra and Haryana.

Magic of 2022 

But now comes a more complex and a tougher question. Is Yogi a potential leader to go beyond 'RSS narratives' of national (read Hindutva-centric) politics ? 

This question will come into focus in 2025. Yogi is in the BJP and Yogi is a hardline Hindutva face ... but he does not have RSS background.  

This is a real food for thought. 

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has given a new message that some leaders should not try to find Temples under every Masjid. 

Delivering a lecture in Pune on 'India-The Vishwaguru,' at Sahjeevan Vyakhyanmala (lecture series), Bhagwat advocated for an “inclusive society”.

"Every day a new matter (dispute) is being raked up. How can this be allowed? This cannot continue. India needs to show that we can live together. India needs to show that we can live together," he said without mentioning any particular site.

Several demands for surveys of mosques to unearth temples have found their way to courts in the recent past, though Bhagwat did not mention any by name.  

Is this aimed at Yogi because for an overwhelming pro-Hindutva support base in India - Yogi is also a big hero ?

In election campaign, most BJP state units make high demand for Yogi's rallies. The RSS could have accepted and even tolerated Modi (a former Pracharak) but can they do the same with Yogi (a Hindutva champion but not with RSS background). 

 

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