Priyanka Gandhi will be ‘force multiplier’ for Congress in UP: Sheila Dikshit

Congress’ chief ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit in Uttar Pradesh has said Priyanka Gandhi will be a “force multiplier” in party vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s “forceful” campaign in the state. She also added that people will “reject” any attempt by the BJP to politically exploit the surgical strikes launched by the Army on September 28-29.

“Exploiting political gains out of (a) sensitive issue is very, very unfortunate. It reflects deterioration of our democratic culture. Army was never used for politics. This is reprehensible,” she said.

Ms Dikshit, 78, said Rahul Gandhi has managed to enthuse the party workers to a great extent through his Kisan Yatra and, if Priyanka Gandhi decides to participate actively, it will “work wonders”. She added there were signs of “clear revival” of the party across the state.

“People are yearning for Congress’ comeback to power. Every section of society is fed up with successive governments. The UP people now want change,” said Ms Dikshit, adding that Congress.

The Congress is out of power in the country’s most politically important state for the past 27 years. On a whirlwind tour of Uttar Pradesh, the Congress veteran also attacked the BJP for “trying to polarise” Uttar Pradesh on communal lines by raking up the contentious issue of Uniform Civil Code. On the party’s campaign, she said there will be region-specific manifestos for the polls as different regions have different problems.

The former three-time Delhi CM said that no party will get an absolute majority in the polls, and as such the Congress will play a key role in formation of the next government. She hinted that the party may not be averse to forging a post-poll alliance with either BSP or Samajwadi Party.

“We will take a call depending on the situation after the polls,” she said.

With Dalits and Muslims feeling “insecure” under the Modi government, Ms Dikshit termed the situation alarming. She was made Congress’ CM candidate considering her Brahmin background.

A Punjabi Khatri, Ms Dikshit married into the Brahmin community, a traditional Congress vote bank which had shifted allegiance to the BJP in the aftermath of the Mandir-Mandal politics.

A large chunk of Brahmin votes had also gone to Mayawati’s BSP in the past when she gave tickets to many candidates belonging to the community. The community’s support determines the poll outcome in several seats in the central and eastern UP.