AMETHI, SEPT 19: With the possible exception of Bellary, Amethi has raised more speculative dust than any other constituency. First, it was sold as the springboard for Priyanka's political career. Then, it was believed that she had been sequestered in Amethi to guarantee her reticent brother his place in the sun. Rumours, mostly fabricated in the gossip mills of Delhi, promise to fly thick and fast right up to polling day. But in Amethi, it is difficult to take them seriously.To begin with, Priyanka is adamantly disinterested in becoming a career politician ``at present.'' Of course, she's keeping an out, but it's like people who never travel overseas but hold passports. ``I am here to campaign for my mother,'' she says, ``Just as both of us were here to campaign for my father in 1991.'' The family has traditionally pitched in to prepare the round in advance at every election.The stout denial gives the lie to the leading conspiracy theory of this election: that if Sonia wins in both Bellary and Amethi,she will step down from the latter and let Priyanka contest a byelection. In fact, it is Bellary that is likely to lose its MP in the event of a double win.There is also little danger of Priyanka being forced into politics in a few months. The trait, apparently, does not run in the family. ``My mother signed up at a time when everything that my father and his mother stood for were being challenged.'' The Congress is a cohesive whole for the first time in many years, and the chances of her being forced into the fray are minimal.Similarly, there is nothing particularly dramatic about the presence of both Robert Vadra and his sister Michelle on the campaign trail. Robert did make his presence felt on the first day of campaigning, but disappeared from view directly thereafter. Behind the scenes, he is one of the trail bosses - in charge of party workers. ``He's learning the ropes on his own, and he returned home as late as 10 pm yesterday,'' says Priyanka with obvious pride.Michelle Vadra is merely acompanion in the campaign car and she is quick to distance herself from the situation. This is just a brief interlude in her life, which does not include political ambitions. After the dust settles, she'll be back with her furniture design firm. With the Vadras, it's again a case of the family helping to pave the way.Speculation that Priyanka has been sequestered in Amethi to guarantee more coverage to Rahul seems to be just as specious. Over the week, national attention is likely to be focused on Amethi. Time permitting, Sonia Gandhi will visit Amethi two days from now. Priyanka's work since Friday will come in for some appreciation, given the fact that the campaign of Sanjay Singh of the BJP has been literally wiped out. It is definitely she who will be in the limelight.
