While Mayawati sees her political fortunes plunge, Congress is making course-correction in Uttar Pradesh
Ahead of her 64th birthday, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati found her troubles seemingly multiplying.
While the BSP is facing threats from the Bhim Army, on one hand, and the Congress, on the other, Mayawati is also getting increasingly isolated in politics.
Mayawati’s growing nervousness is evident from the fact that she has been rather inconsistent in her political statements in recent months.
Ever since Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra increased her activities in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati has stepped up her attacks on the Congress.
Priyanka has been visiting homes of the gang-rape victims and victims of anti-CAA protests. Since most of the victims are Dalits or Muslims, Mayawati is feeling threatened over this ‘encroachment of her support base’.
The Congress is apparently working towards regaining its traditional vote base among Dalits and Muslims in Uttar Pradesh.
“The BSP president has neither the time nor the inclination to visit people’s home in their times of distress. Priyanka Gandhi has made it a point to visit such people – whether it is the Sonebhadra massacre, or Unnao rape victim or anti-CAA protests. A leader should not expect voters’ support if they do not have the time to reach out to them,” said a senior Congress leader.
Akhilesh Singh, a senior Congress leader, says, “Does anyone remember when Mayawati hit the streets last time? Apart from tweeting, she has not done anything substantial for people affected by violence. She cannot dictate where Priyanka should go or should not. Since Priyanka is focusing on UP, she has to be here.”
Moreover, Mayawati’s cautious criticism of the BJP government at the centre and the state has also not gone down well with the Muslims.
“Mayawati’s stand with regard to the BJP has been changing at an alarming rate. We do not know whether she is in support of the BJP or against it but we do know that the BSP is under pressure from the Modi government. Mayawati has been asking her party workers not to protest against abrogation of Article 370 or CAA,” said Faisal Khan, a former BSP worker.
Meanwhile, the Bhim Army has now firmly positioned itself against the BSP. Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, initially, extended the olive branch to Mayawati but after she spurned his offer, has decided to oppose her.
The Bhim Army, which was a quasi-political organization till now, has announced that it will contest the upcoming elections in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar has been wooing the youth in Dalit and Muslim communities with a vengeance.
Presently in jail, Chandrashekhar has found support from the Congress. Priyanka Gandhi has slammed his arrest and has sought his release from jail.
According to sources, if the Congress agrees to an alliance with the Bhim Army in the 2022 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the BSP could emerge as a major loser.
The BSP has already burnt its bridge with the Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav is in no mood for reconciliation.
Dalit leaders have been walking out of BSP and the party is completely bereft of a second-rung leadership.
PRIYANKA’S CALL
After expelling ten senior leaders from the party last year, the Congress in Uttar Pradesh is now realising its mistake and wants to make amends.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, according to sources, is preparing to take the initiative of assuaging the feelings of the seniors in the party.
Priyanka has asked the young leaders to reach out to the veterans in each village, block and district and seek their guidance for re-establishing the party.
“We need energy from the youth and experience from the seniors to revive the party,” she reportedly said at one of the numerous meetings she addressed during her recent visit to Lucknow.
Priyanka is planning to host a lunch/dinner meeting for the senior leaders of the party, including former MPs and legislators.
“The lunch/dinner meeting will be hosted as soon as the weather becomes warmer. The venue could be Lucknow or Delhi — the preference is Delhi since Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will also be able to attend the event. The idea is to reach out to the seniors who have, apparently, been feeling left out,” said a party leader.
The divide between the veterans and the youth in the party has been widening since November when the party expelled ten senior party leaders who had come together, ostensibly to celebrate the birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and discussed the state of affairs in the state Congress.
The divide widened when Priyanka did not visit the residence of veteran leader Kranti Kumar, who passed away on December 3. The residence of Kranti Kumar is less than a kilometre from the Congress state headquarters.
The expelled leaders held a parallel celebration of the foundation day of the Congress on December 28 and more senior leaders joined them on the occasion.
The seniors had sought an appointment with the Congress president, but they got no response.
“We do not blame Priyanka entirely. If she was not aware of Kranti Kumar’s demise, it is the state leadership that is to be blamed. Did UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu inform her of this?” asked one of the expelled leaders.
Expelled Congress leader Haji Siraj Mehndi said: “We have never said that we are no longer with the Congress. Most of us have worked with Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and the party ideology runs in our blood. In fact, we are working to revive the Congress that we lived in. It is the leadership that has not given us a chance to meet and express our feelings.”
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