MP bypolls: Gandhis’ perseverance to meet Hathras victim’s kin will garner votes for Congress, say observers

Led by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi, Congress’ show of strength over the Hathras gang-rape issue will garner votes for the grand old party in bypolls scheduled to be held in November in Madhya Pradesh, feel observers.

Saying that photographs of Priyanka Gandhi shielding Congress activists from police lathicharge during a protest over Hathras gang-rape in Noida has created a huge impact in people’s mind, a Bhopal-based journalist opined that “Gandhis’ perseverance to meet the Dalit victim’s family in Hathras has already become a talking point among Dalits in MP. It will have a huge impact at Assembly seats falling in Gwalior-Chambal region as it has a sizeable population of Dalits.”

Incidentally, the Gwalior–Chambal region is considered as a stronghold of former Congress leader and Scindia dynast Jyotiraditya Scindia who switched over to the BJP in March this year. Of the 28 assembly seats which will go to polls on November 3, 16 fall in the Gwalior-Chambal region.

“Loyalty is revered as a great value in this region. Folktales glorify the people who stay loyal to their cause or the people and those who defy this are considered as betrayers,” said the senior journalist.

“History of Scindia’s family colluding with Britishers vis-a-vis history of Gandhis’ ancestors fighting the colonial oppressors and sacrifices made by the family for the nation is being discussed in nukkad sabhas...This will certainly fetch votes for the grand old party in the bypolls,” added a Madhya Pradesh watcher.

Priyanka Gandhi braving the lathi-wielding UP police, according to MP watchers, conveyed to the masses that while Scindia betrayed Gandhis for power, the latter have no lust for power. Moreover, Scindia toppled the Congress government in MP at the behest of the BJP which is seen as an anti-Dalit party in the region

Congress has fielded several candidates belonging to the SC communities in the region and the Gandhis’ raising of the Hathras issue wherein a Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped by upper caste men and later died has struck a chord.

Congress media in-charge of Gwalior-Chambal, K K Mishra said that there is intense anti-incumbency against the BJP government in general in the region.

“People voted for the Congress but Scindia ditched the mandate and switched over to the BJP. He cannot even dare to roam around without high security in this region. People are so angry with him that if they find him alone, I fear they will start beating him,” said Mishra.

Mishra, who has been camping in the region to supervise preparation for the bypolls and formulate media strategy since June, predicted that the Congress will win 20-22 seats in the bypolls.

“The party is determined to come back, fighting under the leadership of Kamal Nath whose popularity based on his pro-development image is at an all time high in the state,” added Mishra.

“The unplanned lockdown, economic hardships, loss of jobs coupled with Scindia’s treachery will work in favour of Congress,” he added.

Somil Nahata, a young Congress leader from Mandsaur, says that Priyanka’s photographs during the police lathicharge in Noida has enthused Congressmen in the constituency.

Nahata is supervising the bypoll in Suasara Assembly seat which falls in Neemuch–Mandsaur region. Asserting that Kamal Nath has established himself as a people's leader who understands realities better than anyone else, Nahata added, “People see him as an able administrator who can deliver the development...Especially after the Corona pandemic, Kamal Nath's popularity grew as the Shivraj Singh government failed miserably”.

At present, Congress has a strength of 88 in the 230-member MP Assembly and needs to win all the 28 Assembly seats to gain a majority in the House to form the government.

However, sources said even if the party fails to win all the seats, it will form the government with the support of its erstwhile allies, which include 4 independent MLAs, 2 Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLAs and one Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA.