Lok Sabha polls: Congress banks on turncoats, welcomes them with long-term plan for UP

Priyanka Vadra Gandhi, the Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh (East) who has launched an extensive campaign to revive the Congress’s dormant cadre in the state has focused primarily on inducting defecting leaders of other parties to increase Congress’s outreach.

This decision appears to have been taken strategically to make the organisation strong to compete in the long run.

Sources in the Congress say this is being done not only to perform better in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, but also to prepare the party for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

The Congress adopted the strategy of including influential leaders belonging to other parties who have either been denied ticket or have become rebels. Some of them have also been given tickets for the Lok Sabha polls.

“The joining spree started after Congress president in his speech in Amethi said that the next chief minister of UP will be from the Congress party. Therefore, we are inviting turncoats as a strategy to strengthen our base. Our organisation had almost become dormant in many places and by including influential leaders, we are optimistic about regaining strength,” said a senior Congress leader on conditions of anonymity.

Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, MP from Bahraich and Dalit leader Savitri Bai Phule resigned from the BJP after accusing it of trying to divide the society and ignore the rights of the Dalits and the backward castes.

She joined the Congress last month in Delhi in Rahul Gandhi’s presence. She will be contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the same seat–Bahraich. The Congress hopes that her induction will help it in not only challenging the BJP in Bahraich but also in attracting Dalit votes in the state.

Similarly, Kaisar Jahan, who served as an MP from Sitapur in 2009 from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) joined the Congress and is contesting from the same seat. The Congress is banking on her “strong” Muslim vote bank in the constituency.

Rakesh Sachan, a former MP from Fatehpur and two-time Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA also joined the Congress after being reportedly sidelined by the top SP leadership.

He is contesting again from Fatehpur and the grand old party is hopeful of a victory.

Nasemuddin Siddiqui, who was once BSP chief Mayawati’s key aide in UP is also contesting on Congress ticket from Bijnor. His candidature will not only help the party in putting a strong fight but will also increase party’s presence in the area.

The sitting MP from Etawah, Ashok Kumar Dohre has also joined the Congress after the BJP replaced him with former Union minister Ramashankar Katheria.
He will now be contesting against the BJP from the same Lok Sabha seat.

Speaking to India Today TV, UP Congress spokesperson Zeeshan Haider said: “Those joining our party have faith in the leadership and development vision of our party president. Priyanka Gandhi has also made it clear that the party cadre will become very strong by 2022, when the next state elections will take place. She is here for a bigger role. Many are joining us to fight against the communal mindset of the BJP and therefore we will perform better in every election here onwards.”

Meanwhile, when asked about the Congress’s strategy, UP BJP spokesperson Chandra Mohan said, “Their leaders have already conceded defeat before contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Rahul Gandhi’s decision of contesting from Wayanad in Kerala also makes it clear that this time they are set to lose from Amethi and Raebareli as well. Congress is going to draw a blank in the state this time.”