Priyanka Gandhi: People don’t want to hear about stealing buffaloes, mangalsutra

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra talking to mid-day

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress's prominent campaigner, is channelling her efforts into bolstering Congress strongholds like Amethi, where loyalist KL Sharma is contesting, and Raebareli, where Rahul Gandhi is running. Priyanka is actively engaging in multiple roadshows, nukkad sabhas, and rallies daily in Raebareli, adjacent to Amethi, while also touring Amethi extensively.

Addressing large crowds in her rallies, she criticises the prime minister for diverting attention from real issues by focusing on Hindu-Muslim divisions. She highlights Congress's past accomplishments and challenges the BJP to present its report card from the last decade. Priyanka leaves no stone unturned in highlighting Congress's plans if elected, emphasising key promises such as employment opportunities and a R1 lakh guarantee to women's accounts outlined in the party's manifesto.

Crowd at Priyanka's rally. Pics/Faizan Khan

Significantly, in Amethi and Raebareli, massive crowds are turning out for Congress rallies, creating a favourable atmosphere for the party in these two Lok Sabha seats, at least in Uttar Pradesh. On Thursday, Priyanka conducted a campaign at six locations from 11 am to 7 pm. mid-day covered two of these locations: Chaudahmeel and Kanaha in Raebareli. At both places, thousands of locals gathered to hear Priyanka Gandhi. After the second rally, Priyanka spoke to mid-day for a few minutes from her busy schedule. Here are the excerpts from the interview.

During the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections campaign, what differences do you observe compared to the campaigns in 2014 and 2019, and what are the core issues this time?
I think the bigger difference I am seeing is that the people no longer accept the kind of arguments the BJP and PM Modi are putting forward in this election. They are very fed up with this politics of distraction. They don't want to hear all this stealing buffaloes and stealing Mangalsutra, they want to hear about their problems and they are asking the BJP that you were in power for 10 years and what all you have done for us. Unemployment is at an all-time high, price rise is at an all-time high, farmers are not able to earn from farming anymore, there are multiple problems we are facing, and you're not giving us solutions. Neither have you given us any solution nor are you proposing any solutions, and the people are fed up with this. They only talk about the Congress manifesto and it invents and imagines things which are not in our manifesto and puts them before people.

In all your rallies, you have been addressing that the prime minister wants to polarise the elections, framing the election as a Hindu-Muslim divide. Why do you believe he is making such statements?
The prime minister is making communal statements every single day; he says something today and then says something else the next day which is completely different. First, he said something against minorities and now he has suddenly negated the entire politics of probably his lifetime by saying that if he talks about Hindus and Muslims he is not worthy of being prime minister, and today he again talks about Hindus and Muslims. So, nobody has faith in him anymore; his words don't carry the same weight they did once. People have put their faith in him; he is the prime minister of India and there is a certain dignity even of the post. People respect that post and people see that he is changing his statements every day, and they no longer have faith in him.

Do you think the split of Shiv Sena and NCP in Maharashtra will benefit the India alliance in the state?
The people voted for a government, but Modiji didn't approve. He formed his government by breaking other parties. The people of Maharashtra are ready to express their anger with Modiji through their votes. That's how I see the situation in Maharashtra.