THE ATYPICAL FELLOWSHIP OF GANDHI SIBLINGS

The brother-sister bonhomie between Rahul & Priyanka is rare, matched only by the one between Jawaharlal & Vijaya Lakshmi. They don't preclude the view that dynasties erode democracy

- SUGATA SRINIVASARAJU

LL reports emanating from the Wayanad parliamentary bypoll campaign suggest Priyanka Vadra Gandhi will win the seat vacated by her brother, Rahul Gandhi, hands down. They say the only discussion, or bet, is about the margin of victory she would be able to pull off. The question being framed in public chatter is as follows: will Priyanka cross her brother's May 2024 figure of nearly 60 percent of the votes polled, or will she touch the high of his 2019 figure, an astonishing 65 percent? When elections become such one-sided affairs, they become boring. They also construct their own complex messages that are not exactly positive for a democracy.

Anyway, the Wayanad seat and the victory most likely to come look like a gift of the brother to his younger sister, who comes across as his emotional anchor. The remarkable chemistry between them, their affection for each other, has been registered in media and social media commentaries in the past few years. No rumors or imaginations of rivalry and competition between them has been allowed to persist beyond the wink of an eye. Over the years, the brother and sister have learnt to complement each other's sensitivity and empathy.

The brother-sister ideal and bonhomie in Indian politics is a rare one, almost nonexistent. Priyanka has come across more as her brother's sister than her mother's daughter. The recent videos of their conversation too, including the one in the bus on October 23 when Priyanka filed her nomination, stand witness to this.