Is BJP deliberately trying to create rift between Rahul and Priyanka?

According to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi did not want his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Kerala, which is why she was given a role in poll-bound Assam.

Priyanka, incidentally, is the Congress MP from Wayanad in poll-bound Kerala. Signalling a high-stakes push in the key northeastern state, she was recently appointed Chairperson of the Screening Committee for Assam—a state also due for polls along with Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry in 2026.

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Sarma was quoted as saying in Davos: “Rahul doesn’t want Priyanka in Kerala. I was in the Congress for 22 years and have some inner information. He doesn’t want to disturb K C Venugopal and his axis, and Priyanka is an outsider to that axis. That’s why he transferred her to Assam. An MP from Kerala has not been assigned responsibility in Kerala. How else do you interpret this?”

The Assam Chief Minister, who spent over two decades in the Congress before joining the BJP, also described the Gandhis as the “world’s biggest flop family”, claiming that his own family, which grew up struggling, was better than theirs. Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel dismissed Sarma’s remarks, saying the Assam CM was “scared” of Priyanka.

Interestingly, Sarma also claimed that he himself was a “victim” of a “rift”: between Rahul and Priyanka during his time in the Congress.

But he is not the first BJP leader to suggest internal friction within the Gandhi family—allegations the Congress has consistently dismissed as speculative and politically motivated. Earlier, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, another former Congress leader, too, claimed a “rift” between the siblings, alleging that Rahul Gandhi’s sudden trip to Germany during the 2025 Winter Session of Parliament was prompted by his discomfort over comparisons between his and Priyanka’s speeches in the Lok Sabha.

During that session, Priyanka led the Congress charge in the House while Rahul, the Leader of the Opposition, was abroad. Her interventions, particularly during the Vande Mataram debate, drew praise from party colleagues. Of late she has been drawing attention by raising concerns in UP, including alleged “destruction” of the centuries-old Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi.

Of late, buzz around Priyanka has been growing with a section of leaders within the party viewing her as a more effective and relatable figure than brother Rahul. Supporters cite her natural connection with people, command over Hindi, sharp sense of humour, and conversational speaking style. The grand old party is also believed to be preparing her for a larger role ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

BJP leaders also contrast Priyanka’s political style with Rahul’s, framing her rise as a response to his perceived leadership shortcomings, which Congress leaders see as an attempt to create a narrative of internal competition within the Gandhi family. Rahul and Priyanka, however, have consistently projected unity, backing each other while Congress spokespersons describe such claims as “wild, mischievous and diversionary”.