If Soniaji had entered the scene earlier...` (http://business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?tab=r&autono=317708&subLeft=2&leftnm=4)
Q&A: Rita Bahuguna
Aditi Phadnis / New Delhi March 23, 2008
Congress chief in Uttar Pradesh, Rita Bahuguna, talks to Aditi Phadnis about her plans for the party.
It is now almost exactly six months to the day that you were appointed Congress party chief of Uttar Pradesh. What do you think you've achieved ?
When I took over, the party was in a state of demoralisation. Actually that has been the case since last May when we lost the state elections. Possibly because the previous president was disappointed, there was little or no move from the party to pep up the workers, to tell them, OK, we've lost the election but we still have the party. District wise programmes should have been undertaken and leaders should have gone all round the state to explain to people why we lost. The party was sunk in a slumber of dejection. What was needed was urgent revitalisation of morale. I realised this could only be done through programmes. Within days of taking over, we started a kisan andolan. There was drought in one third of UP. Cane growers were facing a serious problem because mills were not working. Cane prices had not been fixed. Surprisingly, this movement was a big success. The state government had to send out a circular to mills asking them to pay farmers arrears. This support from farmers was a turning point for workers from our party. Then we homed in on some sweeping comments made by Mayawati on Mahatma Gandhi. She said Gandhi divided the country whereas Ambedkar united it. Taking the lead from her remarks, at a function in Shikohabad, Gandhiji's picture was removed from the dais by one of Mayawati's ministers – ironically at a function for a Gandhi Bhavan. He was called 'pakhandi' (imposter) and beiman (dishonest). We could not have taken this lying down. From October to December last year, we worked on reviving Gandhiji's legacy. At five hours notice, we called a rally of 5000 people in Shikohabad.
There are all these issues out there, but isn't your biggest problem the party itself – and how little of it exists?
We have just constituted the UPCC coordination committee comprising 30 leaders from UP. Rahulji is a member. We've held two meetings already. The thing about the Congress is, it has always been under the wing of the Nehru Gandhi family. Whether it is a state level issue or a district level issue, it is the family that has guided us.
That's why, look at the recent history: it was the period from around 1991 till 1997-98 that the Congress party's fortunes took their worst beating. True, one after the other you had problems in the state: Mandal, Mandir, region, caste. But this was also the time the Congress faced its worst time. If Soniaji had entered the scene a little earlier, this decline may have been arrested. Can you believe it, as Prime Minister, PV Narasimha Rao came to UP just once ?
But this prime Minister too has also been to UP just once…
True. But that doesn't matter, because we have Soniaji and Rahulji voicing our movements. Rahulji's direct involvement has changed things. Let me give you an example. We surveyed 75 villages in Bundelkhand for the National Rural Employment Guarantees Programme and we found that while the programme showed full utilisation, there were beneficiaries. Then we understood why: the administration said it had put all the money in afforestation programmes. Crores of trees had been planted, but when we asked why we could see none, they said it was because of the drought – that the trees had been planted but they'd all died !
Then there were other problems. Cards should have been given to all Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. But distribution of cards was on the basis of which party you were a sympathiser of. People who were entitled to Above Poverty Line (APL) cards had been issued BPL cards. Bundelkhand has a population of around 80 lakh. 38 lakh people had migrated. Then Rahulji decided to visit. That was the wake up call for the state government. We called people from five villages and had a huge rally. It was after this that Mayawati visited Bundelkhand.
Right now, even as we speak, finishing touches are being given to a huge package, running into thousands of crores of rupees for Bundelkhand.
Bundelkhand is not UP…
In the rest of the state, we are launching a hisaab mango andolan (give us the accounts) movement. It will be pick up momentum soon after holi. We've already spent a lot of time explaining to people the bonanza they're going to get when the budget is actually implemented. We want to link the ordinary people with the budget and tell the common man: having tested all parties, now, try us.
The people will get a chance to try you – in the two assembly and two Lok Sabha by elections that are due in April…
Well, April is a bit tough. If we'd had time till June, the loan waiver programme would have started and government's policies would have begun to have effect. But I know that we will improve our vote bank. I am not looking at this election as a referendum. A by election always goes in favour of the government in power – the state machinery, everything is in its control. But it will be quite an interesting election. The party will perform better, that is a certainty.
There is talk that you're scouting for a partner to fight elections with….
We have to think about this long and hard. We have never hidden the fact that we would like all secular forces to come together. We would not want a government headed by the BJP. If parties profess to be secular, the onus is on them to come together with us.
So all the harsh things that Amar Singh of the Samajwadi Party has said about Mrs Gandhi – all that will be forgotten in the interests of secularism?
To my knowledge Mulayam Singh Yadav has said harsher things two days ago. Amar Singh sounds a bit mellower now. But this is not a matter of tracking statements. The decision will be taken at the highest level. Mayawati meets Mrs Gandhi and gives an impression that the Congress has done a deal with her. The fact is, she is the Chief Minister of UP and Mrs Gandhi is the UPA Chairman. Meeting the CM is a courtesy and the Gandhi family is well known for its courtesy. They know how to conduct themselves. This is the difference between the style of the Congress and the BSP. But as of now, there is no truck with anyone. We're going to contest independently. I know our cadres. Once they start working, our prospects can only get better, not worse.
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