The Congress general secretary in-charge of UP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has geared up in Uttar Pradesh, her kharambhoomi, with a mission to rebuild the Congress in UP ahead of 2022 assembly polls. She landed in Lucknow on 16 July for a three-day visit after doing her homework very well about UP politics up to micro level and is in an aggressive mood to defeat the BJP. The silent dharna (sit-in) she staged under the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, a popular public protest site in the heart of the state capital, was a good beginning. The following day, she drove down to Lakhimpur-Kheri, about 140-km from the state capital, to meet the Samajwadi Party (SP) activist Anita Yadav. Her videos showing how she thwarted a bid by BJP goons to pull her saree had earlier gone viral. Anita Yadav, a proposer for the local SP nominee in the recently held panchayat elections, was maltreated by the ruling party activists. The SP nominee was deprived of filing her nomination, while the BJP candidate sailed through unopposed. Significantly, Priyanka took the opportunity to stand beside her when even SP’s senior leaders had not cared to visit her. The Congress has grabbed the opportunity to occupy the near-vacant opposition space in UP, with the SP supremo Mayawati too reluctant to meaningfully intervene and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav preferring to wage mere virtual war from the safe distance of social media. The emergence of Priyanka Gandhi in the political vacuum of the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP ruled Uttar Pradesh is a fascinating development, since Gandhi’s political messaging of compassion and justice for women has not gone unnoticed. Priyanka Gandhi’s model of strong leadership with a heart is already being touted as an alternative to Yogi Adityanath in UP.
WILL MAYAWATI SURPRISE BOTH CM YOGI AND CHALLENGER PRIYANKA?
The BSP is gearing up for the 2022 UP assembly elections, and has been holding meetings, while also devising social media campaigns. Now BSP is trying to woo Brahmin voters who are unhappy with the BJP government in the state. BSP chief Mayawati has announced the launch of a ‘Brahmin Sammelan’ from Ayodhya in days to come. If BSP gets the support of Muslims who comprise 19% of the voting population, SCs who make up about 20.8%, Brahmins who form about 12-14%, and other EBC voters in UP, then the BSP could form the government on its own. The BSP, a Dalit-centric party, successfully reached out to Brahmin voters in UP in 2007, a combination that is attributed to the party reaching a majority mark in the assembly for the first time. Mayawati seems to be trying out the same formula for the 2022 polls, too. While the opposition, Congress and SP have, however, said it wouldn’t matter what the BSP decides as the party isn’t in the race for the 2022 UP assembly elections.
DESPITE CABINET EXIT, PRASAD BATS FOR MODI ON PEGASUS
After the death of Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, former Union minister in-charge of the Law and Justice, Information Technology and Communication — Ravi Shankar Prasad — was seen as an asset for the party and the government. But Prasad was surprised at being removed from the council of ministers. However, the quick-witted minister is back in action and retweeting the prime minister’s tweets and congratulating other colleagues. He has also been active in his constituency, Patna Sahib, and posted a tweet with pictures of his meeting with party workers. Meanwhile, amid the tumult over reports of snooping in multiple nations through Israeli spyware Pegasus, Ravi Shankar Prasad has questioned why only India is being targeted for the use of the spyware when 45 nations were using it. He defended the party and the government on this issue.
TMC STAGES PROTEST OVER FUEL PRISE RISE OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT
At the Congress parliamentary party meeting, there were suggestions that MPs could protest against the fuel price hike by cycling to Parliament on the first day. But some MPs suggested the party should also take the lead in protesting against the farm bills. As the confusion continued, the party decided to postpone the protest. Meanwhile, on Monday despite the heavy rain, TMC lawmakers Derek O’Brien, Kalyan Bandyopadhyay, Arpita Ghosh, Nadimul Haque, Shantanu Sen, and Abir Ranjan Biswas protested against the rising fuel prices. The six arrived on bicycles for the first day of the Monsoon Session and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Members of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) protested outside Parliament against the farm laws. “Why is the government not listening to farmers?” asked SAD leader Harsimrat Singh Badal.
WITH GANDHIS’S BLESSINGS, SIDHU SECURES POSITION IN PUNJAB
Since Navjot Singh Sidhu’s appointment Congress Punjab chief, he has met 62 MLAs at his residence, followed by a trip to the Golden Temple to pray. It was seen as a major show of strength amid the ongoing power tussle between Sidhu and the chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh. Sidhu’s camp claimed that there were 62 MLAs (Congress has 80), including State Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sunil Jakhar and Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria were among those who accompanied Sidhu. The four newly-appointed PCC working presidents — Kuljit Singh Nagar, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Sukhwinder Singh Danny and Pawan Goel— were also present. On the other hand, CM Singh who had opposed Sidhu’s appointment has demanded public apology from him for his derogatory remarks. Captain Amarinder Singh’s media advisor reiterated this demand in a tweet, while clarifying that Sidhu had not sought time to meet the CM. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Singh agreed to attend the ceremony of the new Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu. Earlier, it was reported Sidhu had sent an invite for the event to Captain Amarinder Singh that was signed by about 65 party MLAs. The crisis in the Punjab Congress is still not over and many MLAs realised that Captain may not be in a position to ensure their victories in the next Assembly election. That’s where Sidhu began being considered as an alternative. The high command’s priorities were clear, they saw that Sidhu is crucial to the party’s prospects in Punjab. (IPA Service)
Two Accidental PM And FM Steered India Out Of Economic Crisis In 1991 