AfterannouncingSheilaDikshitasitschiefministerialfaceforcrucialassemblyelectionsinUttarPradesh,the

CongresspartyinanattempttoreviveitselfinthestatehasbegunpatronisingBrahminsammelans.Thepartys
campaigncommitteevicepresidentforUPandformerunionministerJitinPrasadaspoketoNalinMehtaandSanjeev
SinghaboutthestrategictargetingoftheBrahminvote,rumoursofapossiblealliancewithBSPandwhetherCongress
mattersatallinthestatespoliticalarithmetic:
WhydidyougoforaBrahminface,intheformofSheilaDikshit,asyourUPCMcandidate?
SheilaDikshitbringswithher15yearsofexperienceaschiefministerinDelhianddevelopmentalworkwhich
transformedthecity.IfsheisaBrahminwhatistheharm?IsitatabootobeaBrahmin?
Whatabouttheagefactor?
Thequestionisaboutabilityandunmatchedexperience.Shehasboth.
ABrahminsammelanisbeingorganisedinUPbypeopleaffiliatedwithCongressparty?
Congressbelievesintakingalongallsectionsofsocietyandallcastes.Iftherearesomesympathisersinaparticular
community,iftheyareinvitingusandbeingsympathetictotheCongress,thiswillonlyaddtoourvoteshare.Ifthe
communityisfeelingneglected,itistheresponsibilityofthepartytomakesurethatitsfeelingsareassuaged.
WhyisCongressafraidofopenlyendorsingthesammelanwhenyourstrategyseemstotargetBrahmins?
Congressdoesntbelieveinorganisingcastebasedsammelansbutifsomepeopleareorganisingandinviting
Congressmen,whyshouldtherebeanyproblem?Theonlyproblemiseeisthatotherpoliticalpartiesarefeeling
threatened.Otherwisewhatstheneedtogetalarmed?Brahminshadforsakenpowerbutarenowfeelingpoliticallyand
sociallymarginalised.
StrategistPrashantKishorheldameetingofBrahminleadersatyourresidencesomedaysago.Whatisthelogic
behindthispush?
Ourfaithisoncapabilityandadequatepoliticalrepresentationforallclasses.TheBrahmincommunityfeelsthereisa
declineintheirpoliticalrepresentation.ThelastBrahminCMinthestatewas27yearsago.So,itiswrongtosaythatall
positionshavebeencapturedbyBrahminsinUP.InUP,onlyoneparticularcommunityisinpower.Onlymembersof
thatparticularcommunityareblatantlygivenpoliticalpower,jobsandsensitiveadministrativepostingsduringSPBSP
rule.
RahulGandhiwillkickstarta2,500kilometrepadayatraacross42districts.Whatisthewholeexerciseabout?
RahulGandhispadayatraisgoingtobecalledtheKisanPadayatra.ThefocusisonthefarmersofUPwhoarereeling
underdebtandhighelectricitybills.ThethirdaspectisofMinimumSupportPrice(MSP)benefitsnotbeingtranslated
tofarmersontheground.Rahuljiisgoingtoreachouttofarmersnotbyhugeralliesbutbychaupalsabhasatvarious
locationsduringhisyatra.HewillalsobeginamassoutreachprogrammeinwhichCongressworkerswilltarget60,000
householdsperassembly.Ourtargetistwocroresignaturesin20days.
ButRahulhasdonevarioussuchprogrammesinthepastwithnofollowup.Whywillitworkthistime?

Rahuljihasalwaystakenupthecauseoffarmers.HisfirstspeechinParliamentwasonsugarcanefarmers.In
continuationofthathewillengagewithfarmersandputpressureongovernmenttoimprovetheirplight.
ThelasttimeCongresswonover30seatsinUPassemblywaswhenyourfatherpilotedanalliancewithBSP.Any
thoughtsaboutrepeatingtheBSPalliancethistime?
AlliancesareapartofstrategyandwhenthatalliancehappenedCongresshadsplitintotwo(CongressandCongress
Tiwari).CongressdidanallianceinBihartocrushBJPscommunalagendalastyear.Today,thereisnoalliancetalkin
UP.Congresswillgoitaloneandthefinalcalliswithleadership.
Youcouldonlywin28UPassemblyseatsin2012.Howmanyseatsdoyouexpectthistime?Whyshouldvoters
voteforyourparty?
ThevoteristotallydisgustedwithwhathehasgotbyvariousgovernmentsinUP,beitSP,BSP,orBJP.Theyhavebeen
dividedoncasteandcommunallines.Congresshasneverwaveredinitsagendathatdevelopmentisthewayforward.
WillPriyankaGandhiplayakeyroleinpartyaffairsandcandidateselectioninUP?
ShehasalreadybeenplayingaroleinRaebareliandAmethi.SheisveryfamiliarwiththepoliticsandproblemsofUP.
Hercontributionisverymuchappreciatedbythepartyatlarge.Thereisdemandforhertoextendthatfurtherinthe
state,butthefinalcalliswithherandtheleadership.
DISCLAIMER:Viewsexpressedabovearetheauthor'sown.