Will Priyanka contest from Varanasi? Suspense is a double edged sword

New Delhi, Apr 21: Amid speculations on whether she will fight the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday put the onus on Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Though she took a plunge into the active politics in January this year, Priyanka Gandhi has not yet made it clear whether she would contest Lok Sabha polls or not. Even if Priyanka does decide to contest, 'from where' is the question that is being widely debated by political analysts and is something that is vehemently discussed regularly on almost every news channel.

Priyanka also wants everyone to keep guessing and every now and then makes a veiled but vague remark hinting at something, but not sure what it is.

Last month, when asked if she would like to contest from her mother's constituency, Raebareli, Priyanka Gandhi had quipped, "Why not Varanasi". And stopped at that, she did not respond to questions put forth by the scribe after that remark and just kept smiling.

Today in Wayanad where she is campaigning for Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka said she would be happy to contest from Varanasi if Rahul asks her to.

"If the Congress president asks me to contest, I will be happy to contest," Priyanka Gandhi said in Wayanad, the Kerala constituency from where Rahul Gandhi would be contesting LS polls along with the family bastion of Amethi.

One thing is for sure, if Priyanka decides to take on PM Modi from Varanasi, the city will witness what can be called the mother of all contests.

Congress is in fact playing mind games by allowing this suspense to build up. But then again, suspense is a double edged sword.

When Priyanka Gandhi casually told Congress workers in Raebareli, "Why not Varanasi", she created the suspense herself. If Priyanka Gandhi now decides to not contest from Varanasi, it will make Modi appear even stronger - in Varanasi and India alike. The unmistakable message will be the Congress doesn't have the fire in its belly to fight the Modi juggernaut.