Very recently at a public meeting in the state addressed by the Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, a demand was made to bring Priyanka to lead the campaign and this was a big surprise to Rahul who so far, is considered as the main Congress leader to lead the party to the achieve the Mission 2012.Rahul however did not make any comment and finished his address without mentioning the demand. But this incident has become a talking point in the state, especially among the Congress workers.
The UP Congressmen are a bit sceptic now about Rahul’s capacity to bring electoral victory to the Party in the coming assembly elections in the wake of the Part’s debacle in Bihar where Rahul was in charge. Earlier, following big success of the Party in Lok Sabha polls in 2009, Congressmen were upbeat about doing well in the assembly elections also under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, but the reverses in the by elections in the last two years and the Bihar debacle of the Party in the recent assembly l elections have cast doubts about Rahul’s acceptability to the masses. Congress masses are itching to come back to power in UP and they are desperately pitching for Priyanka Gandhi.
Although Rahul has been visiting dalit basti here and there having simple dinner with dalits and night stay, reaching out to common man through sudden hopping local trains like he did in Mumbai, there are doubts whether these have long-term impact on masses.
But often the politics of development does not sell as is the case of UP where highly politicised scenario is different at ground level where multiple coalitions exist, fragmentation and alliance favours, prizes, privileges, flexible, shifting principles of social engineering, caste compromises and money and muscle power operate.
Congressmen in UP want Rahul to become hyperactive ,aggressive politically more combative and lead agitations in the state which is in grip of stark poverty, decline in law and order situation, kidnapping for ransom, atrocities on dalits and women, as also unrest due to growing unemployment.
It is not surprising that Congressmen see Priyanka Gandhi as true copy of her grandmother late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Congress leaders and workers of Amethi and Rae Bareilli have seen Priyanka campaigning for Rahul and her mother Sonia Gandhi. Never before in Indian politics, the observers noticed total change in political scenario of Lok Sabha constituency through only one speech as Priyanka Gandhi did in Rae Bareilli in 1999.
Before the arrival of Priyanka Gandhi on the scene Congress candidate Satish Sharma was nowhere in picture and BJP candidate Arun Nehru was front runner. During her only public meeting in Rae Bareilli Priyanka Gandhi asked local voters as to why did they allow the person (Arun Nehru) to enter in the constituency as he had backstabbed her father ( Rajiv Gandhi) whoever was present was shocked and was feeling guilty. After that public meeting, Congress candidate Satish Sharma became the front runner and Arun Nehru was pushed far behind and lost his deposit in the elections.
Again in Sultanpur, the house of dalit was demolished by upper caste people few years back when Mayawati was chief minister. Priyanka not only shocked Mayawati government but mobilised the local Congress workers through her call to build the house through ‘shramdaan’. Mayawati was forced to visit Sultanpur in following days and announced various schemes for development of local area.
So now Congress leaders and workers feel that only an aggressive Priyanka Gandhi can take on BSP supremo Mayawati and other political rivals like Mulayam Singh Yadav and BJP to ensure victory of Congress to capture power in the state where the party is out of power since 1989. (IPA Service)
NEW TWIST TO POLITICS IN UTTAR PRADESH
CONGRESS WORKERS WANT PRIYANKA TO LEAD
Pradeep Kapoor - 2011-02-27 18:58
LUCKNOW: Congress workers in Uttar Pradesh have started a campaign to bring Priyanka Gandhi as the leader of the Party in the state to take on the BSP supreme and Chief Minister Mayawati in the 2012 assembly elections. They feel that only Priyanka has the charisma to challenge the CM and she can galvanise the masses at the grassroots level.