Farmers Movement Archive

Hathras gang-rape case: Congress sniffs chance to win back social blocs in UP

NEW DELHI: Seizing on the Hathras Dalit atrocity close on the heels of an aggressive, though limited campaign on controversial farm bills and a public courting of minorities, Congress under Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s lead is making a vigorous attempt at wooing social blocs that formed the party base for decades before the party slipped into irrelevance in UP. . But Congress’s aggression can also be seen from the angle of Valmiki votes — a Dalit subcaste seen to be agitated with the BJP government that it has been loyal to and which is not comfortable with Dalit party BSP. After undertaking an unsuccessful bid to visit Hathras, Priyanka on Friday visited a Valmiki temple in the Capital to make the point. “A party wins over social blocs by fighting for them. After BJP won a pan-caste support in UP recently, parties can only tap on resentment to win back groups. We are making an aggressive bid too,” a Congress member said. It is too early for a fringe player like Congress in UP to think in terms of revival. But under Priyanka’s leadership, it is making a focused bid for communities that, because of past proximity, do not see it as no-go. What seems to be giving hope to Congress strategists is that BJP’s success in overwhelming the UP society post-2017 has seriously marginalised traditional local players SP and BSP, whose surprising silence last year on several issues has also deepened the impression of a vacuum. As a result, Congress’s decision to hold protests over last six months against the UP government, despite organisational weakness and serious lack of popular appeal, is designed to project itself as the main opposition party. “Once Priyanka stations herself in Lucknow, these activities will only increase. We hope our appeal too would expand,” a member said. Watch Congress seeks to make power play in UP to win back social blocs

The Times of India

2020-10-03

India