The grapple in Uttar Pradesh

The writer is a consulting editor with The Statesman and writes for several newspapers in India An interesting campaign is on in Amethi between the Congress party scion Rahul Gandhi and the Aam Admi Party’s (AAP) rather controversial leader Kumar Vishwas. The latter’s rather belligerent campaign is causing some worry in the Congress camp, with whispers being heard from the corridors of power of the alternative Rae Bareli seat for its leader. Both Lok Sabha seats are being looked after by Priyanka Gandhi, who has ruled out a larger role for herself in the party and the government, despite considerable clamour from Congress members. Vishwas is bringing new aggression to a parliamentary seat that was never seriously contested by any of the opposition parties, in what was seen as a tacit understanding to allow this space to the Nehru-Gandhi family in Uttar Pradesh (UP). This is being challenged seriously for the first time, leading the spotlights to hover around the scrawny figure of Vishwas as he uses his command on words to attack the Congress and project his party and himself as the member of the Indian parliament from the Amethi constituency of UP in the offing. All said and done, Vishwas does not inspire confidence amongst even the AAP supporters outside Amethi. There are several videos of him denouncing Muslims and their festivals, speaking out against women and praising the controversial BJP leader Narendra Modi while the latter sat in the crowd and basked in the adulation. Quizzed by a news channel, he insisted that the comments were made by him long before the AAP came into existence in his role as a ‘stand-up comedian’ at a kavi sammelan (the Hindi equivalent of a mushaira or poetry recitation). He appeared defiant and apologised in sarcastic tones when compelled to do so by the anchor. There is little in Vishwas to endear him to the thinking electorate and hence, it remains to be seen whether he can cut through the Congress barricades in Amethi and actually win over voters. Currently, he seems to be doing well in that he has a party going in the constituency, which has opened offices and is already in the midst of a volatile campaign. But whether this will work in his favour or not remains to be seen. The rural electorate is wise and does not take kindly to personalised and bordering-on-the-vulgar campaigns. Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, is seen by all as a charming, nice man but clearly unable to cross the line to becoming a man of decisions and actions. There is a certain disillusionment with the Congress party all across the country and this could affect his prospects as well, given a tough and credible opposition in his home constituency. And this disillusionment has a proportional impact on the Congress party’s own disillusionment with its Prince. Amethi has become a pampered constituency but despite this, the development has been uneven. Constituents continue to live in pockets of abject poverty. There is dissension within the Congress ranks here, as everywhere really, with local leaders unable to function together as a united, cohesive team. The Nehru-Gandhi family has also become extra-possessive about this terrain, looking at Amethi and Rae Bareli as its own preserve. The party leaders from UP and even the centre are kept out of these two parliamentary constituencies with only family and very close friends looking after the management. Not a single leader is asked to campaign and the Congress as a party is kept out altogether. As one said, this will be an interesting campaign. The AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal defeated former Congress chief minister Sheila Dikshit in her home constituency, having pitted himself against her at a time when even the voter had not detected an ‘Aam Aadmi wave’. Now it remains to be seen who the AAP will field against Narendra Modi from Gujarat, where it is already making more waves than the Congress party, which seems to be set for decimation. Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2014.