Constitution copy in hand, Priyanka Gandhi takes oath as LS MP

New Delhi, Nov 28 (PTI) Holding up a copy of the Constitution, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday took oath as a Lok Sabha MP to begin her journey as an elected representative of the people five years after she joined active politics.

The debutant MP, whose entry into Parliament has long been a subject of speculation, said her priority would be to raise important issues concerning the nation and fight for the country and her party.

The 52-year-old, who joins her mother Sonia and brother Rahul as an MP in what is a rare instance of three members of a family together in Parliament, took affirmation in Hindi.

The MP from Wayanad in Kerala held up a red and black copy of the Constitution, which Rahul Gandhi has been displaying at his public meetings, as she took her oath.

Dressed in a cream Kasavu saree from Kerala, Priyanka Gandhi rose to take oath amid cheers of ‘Jodo Jodo, Bharat Jodo’ from the Congress benches. She took oath with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, her mother and Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chief Sonia Gandhi, husband Robert Vadra, son Raihan and daughter Miraya watching from the galleries.

Congress MPs earlier met at the CPP office in the Parliament premises where Priyanka Gandhi was greeted and congratulated by leaders.

After taking oath, Priyanka Gandhi completed the formalities and then shared a warm hug with her brother and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. She then went and sat in the fourth row with fellow Congress MPs.

Ravindra Chavan (Congress), who won the Nanded bypoll also took oath in Marathi in the name of god.

The House was adjourned after the oaths as opposition members came to the Well of the House and raised slogans, demanding a discussion on the Adani issue and the Sambhal violence.

As MPs exited the House, leaders made a beeline to congratulate Priyanka Gandhi and on the steps of the Makar Dwar. Congress MPs gathered as Rahul Gandhi clicked a photograph of Priyanka Gandhi with the Samvidhan Sadan in the background.

“It will strengthen Rahul Gandhi, the party and the principles of the Constitution because we are fighting for that,” she told reporters when asked about the impact of her entering Parliament.

Asked about taking the oath holding up the Constitution, Priyanka Gandhi said it signifies that “nothing is above the Constitution for us and we will continue to fight for it”.

Priyanka Gandhi also met the Congress president after taking oath and took his blessings.

Posting pictures of him blessing Priyanka Gandhi, Kharge said on X, “I am confident that Priyanka Gandhi will become a strong voice of the people of the country, especially women, in Parliament.”

“Her able leadership, compassion, courage, decency and determination, and her firm commitment to the principles of the Constitution will benefit the people of the country,” he said.

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi also expressed happiness over Priyanka Gandhi taking oath as an MP, saying “we are all proud”.

Sharing a photograph with his mother Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi posted in Hindi on his WhatsApp channel, “Of the people, by the people, for the people – Jai Hind.”

Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, “Since childhood, we have all seen on television the members of the Gandhi family displaying amazing dignity during the assassination of Indira Ji or Rajiv Ji. The entire country would break into tears, but the Gandhi family, a symbol of the unique tradition of sacrificing everything for the country, always considered the country bigger than their personal grief.”

When Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi took oath as a Member of Parliament for the first time with a copy of the Constitution in her hand, all those scenes came back in front of the eyes, he said.

“Today’s moment is an emotional moment of pride and inspiration not only for the Congress family but for the entire country,” Khera said in a post in Hindi on X.

Priyanka Gandhi took the plunge into active politics in 2019 and was later appointed Congress general secretary. Five years after that, Priyanka Gandhi begins her journey as an elected representative of the people.

With a winning margin of more than 4.1 lakh votes, she surpassed the tally of her brother Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad in Kerala.

Priyanka Gandhi’s entry into Parliament comes at a difficult time for the party, which has been jolted by electoral defeats in Haryana and Maharashtra. It would be interesting to see if she is able to give a much-needed fillip to the grand old party and help put it back on the electoral track.

Often drawing comparisons with her grandmother Indira Gandhi for their similarity in looks and way of speaking, Priyanka Gandhi has been the go-to campaigner for the party since her entry into active politics and even before that when she campaigned for her mother and brother.

Most of her speeches are akin to a conversation with the crowd, establishing a connect and giving people the impression that here was a person who was known to them, someone sharing her feelings and thoughts with them.

As star campaigner and strategiser, Priyanka Gandhi helped the Congress make impressive gains in some states as well as in the Lok Sabha polls held earlier in the year. Her campaign helped the Congress get 99 seats in the general election, up from 52 in 2019.