After Sonia Gandhi, the most mysterious member of the Nehru-Gandhi family is easily Priyanka Gandhi. With a history of only campaigning in party strongholds like Amethi and Rae Bareli when elections are around the corner, Priyanka has successfully stayed away from the family business of politics despite reportedly having a “connect with the poor”. So it came as no surprise when a news report initially stated that she was set to step beyond the family strongholds and campaign across the nation. According to a CNN-IBN report, sources indicated that she was set to campaign not just for the national elections but also for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh elections. The report indicated that the Congress hoped to make the most of Priyanka’s charisma in the elections. Within the hour however, the Congress firmly denied the rumour and went so far as to put the blame for the report on the BJP. They claimed it was a ploy to divert attention from its failing in handling the stampede at Ratangarh in Madhya Pradesh. “We completely deny the reports that Priyanka Gandhi will be campaigning in the 2014 elections,” a seemingly enraged Ajay Maken told reporters. “Over 100 people have died in the tragedy. The whole country is looking at the Madhya Pradesh government which could not even provide police arrangement at the place. It (news about Priyanka Gandhi) is attempt by some people to divert attention from the issue and to hide MP Government’s failure,” he told reporters. [caption id=“attachment_1170937” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Will Priyanka participate more in the 2014 campaign. PTI[/caption] But what is so wrong with Priyanka Gandhi stepping into the rough and tumble of campaigning that the report had to be decried as an opposition ploy? Her last campaign during the 2012 UP elections didn’t yield any results that helped her brother, who headed the campaign in the state. But in her defence, she didn’t have her political career on the line either. When asked at the time if she would campaign beyond the family strongholds in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka had said,“If Rahul wants me to campaign, I’ll campaign.” While Rahul Gandhi points to Indira Gandhi as his inspiration, Priyanka often finds it hard to escape comparisons with her. The predictions about her entry into politics have been around since 2004 , when she aided her mother during her campaign for the national elections. In 2012, the Financial Times had predicted that Priyanka would withdraw from the politics until the 2014 elections, and quoted those ‘closest to her’ as saying that it was only a matter of time before she bursts onto the political stage as a contender. “Rahul’s time is now. Priyanka’s time will come,” Robert Vadra was quoted as saying in the same report. Ironically enough, her husband’s business dealings and the controversy they have generated may be to blame for her delayed arrival on the political stage. She has continued to visit Rae Bareli and Amethi and even assist Rahul, but has stayed away from going beyond it. Priyanka may have struggled since 2004 to decide whether she wanted to enter politics, but one things for certain given the anti-incumbency the Congress will be battling in 2014, its unlikely that her campaigning can make things worse for them.