In the wake of an anti-incumbency wave in the country, the spirited campaign by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the subsequent war of words with the Opposition ever since she jumped into the fray seems to have got Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi the much-needed popularity he and his party needed, at least on the web.
According to the latest Google search statistics, a surge in search interest has been recorded in the last 100 days among online users for Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party. The sudden interest co-incides with Priyanka's stepping into the battleground to garner support for her mother Sonia Gandhi contesting polls from Raebareli and brother who is battling it out from Amethi.
Meanwhile, BJP which has been web user's favourite for the last three months, still continues to grab the top spot. It has gained considerably during the past three months and search trends highlight an even higher surge of interest for the saffron party.
AAP's popularity, on the other hand, which was at its peak during the start of the year, despite its high decibel campaign fronted by party chief Arvind Kejriwal, has shown a gradual decline and now finds itself at-par with the Congress which was earlier a distant third.
So, even as the Congress Party trails at the third sport after the BJP and the AAP even today, it has significantly narrowed the gap with the AAP considerably in the period of past three months, the credit for which clearly goes to the strong comments coming from party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra against Narendra Modi and her attack on the Opposition for their remarks on her husband Robert Vadra.
A look at the verbal exchange between her and the Opposition will make it clear why she was able to get the party higher up in the google searches:
Her first remarks that created a row was when she broke her silence on the repeated attacks on her businessman husband Robert Vadra by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while she was campaigning in Raebareli for her mother and party president Sonia Gandhi earlier this month.
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"When you watch TV, what do you see? Harsh words, ridiculing of my family. A lot of things are said about my husband. I feel pained. I feel pained, not for myself, not because somebody is ridiculing and the truth is not being told, not because everyday I tell my children that the truth will prevail. I feel pained at the kind of politics that has come to the fore in these elections," she said.
Sharpening its attack on Priyanka, a senior BJP leader threatened to jail the entrepreneur if the opposition were to come to power.
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The fight turned intense after BJP released a pamphlet and video alleging that Priyanka’s husband used his connections to the Gandhi family to make money in various land deals, and demanded that Sonia and Rahul “come clean” on the issue.
However, Priyanka shot back at them comparing the opposition to rats scurrying around in a panic. She also targeted Modi several times, asking him to stop lecturing and teaching people alphabets and start talking about development issues.
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In strong use of words, the Congress star campaigner said that the BJP prime ministerial candidate's 56-inch chest and his cruel power was not needed to run the country.
"A 56-inch chest is not needed to run this country, a big heart is needed to run it. To run this country cruel force of power is not needed, but moral strength is needed. It needs an internal strength," she said in Raebareli.
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However, her attack on snoopgate is what irked the opposition members the most.
Referring to the Gujarat snoopgate scandal where opposition parties allege that Modi ordered tracking of the movements of a woman and spying on her, Priyanka alleged the man who was calling for protection of women was himself spying on a woman.
Infuriated by her comments, Modi's close aide Amit Shah defended him by saying,"It does not matter what Priyanka Gandhi says. There is a probe panel which is investigating into it. Wait for the report of the panel."
This and more such attacks were followed by counter attacks and in no time, Priyanka found herself in the middle of an intensifying Congress-BJP smackdown.
With a day to go for Rae Bareli to vote on April 30 and a week before Amethi votes on May 7, it is left to be seen if Priyanka's campaign, that has already shown positive results online, will be able to help Congress claim victory on the two seats.
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