It could well be contended that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra never formally declared that she would challenge Mr Narendra Modi for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat ~ hence there was never any need for an announcement that she was not entering that fray.

Yet for the past few weeks she, brother Rahul and a host of Congress party workers appeared thrilled at prospects of such a blockbuster competition.

Yet while neither Priyanka nor Rahul will “suffer” as a result of the decision to field the little known Ajay Rai from there, the enthusiasm among the rank and file of the Congress’ footsloggers will certainly be a casualty.

Surely the party leadership cannot be so politically inept as to believe that the Prime Minister and the BJP would be rattled by the “suspense” ~ as Rahul put it ~ over Priyanka adopting a “will she, won’t she” attitude as her mother had done in another context some years ago.

A Lok Sabha election is not a joking matter, Priyanka appeared to have reduced it to that when she quipped “why not Varanasi” when asked if she planned to replace Sonia from Rae Bareli. That cheeky quip typifies the manner in which the brother and sister play their politics.

There is a limit to being clever but none in the Congress’ high command has the guts to enlighten the younger Gandhis that sagacity demands more than being smart. Nobody seriously thought that a comparative novice would run Modi close.

Yet the leadership realised that the possibility of such a scrap did more for the workers’ morale than all the ranting over the Rafale deal, and played ball until the goalposts were erected at Varanasi. The argument that Priyanka had larger responsibilities and could not be tied down to a single seat is valid, but it should have been spelled out before party workers were sent off on a trip to fantasyland.

Some small Opposition parties were also taken for a ride and went slow on their Varanasi campaigning. It is a moot point if Priyanka would have been so strident in attacking Modi if she knew the party was not fully behind her on Varanasi.

Small comfort is to be had from the argument that Priyanka has two slots to choose from ~ Amethi or Wayanad, depending on which one Rahul opts to retain.

Only confirmed acolytes can be sure he will win both. Election-analysis is now a specialised study: once the results are declared it will make interesting reading to note how the Congress fared in the UP seats that went to the polls after the party threw in the Priyanka towel.

There might be a price to pay for the folly that Rahul dubs as suspense. Her resembling her grandmother, her novelty and charisma might not last too long in the cut-throat arena of electoral politics.