Aggression has finally started paying dividends and the youth in Uttar Pradesh is responding positively to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s campaign in Uttar Pradesh that began in Phulpur on November 14.
For the first time in the past seven years that he has been in active politics, Mr Gandhi showed a streak of aggression in his speech when he ripped apart Opposition leaders for “flying in helicopters and refusing to enter the homes of the poor”.
His “beggar” remark may have attracted flak from political rivals but it went down well with those whose kin have been forced to migrate to metros in search of livelihood.
Gaura Devi, whose son is working as a peon in a multi-national company in Mumbai, was not allowed to take long leave and perform the last rites of his elder brother who died in an accident.
“Because of this, we had to cut short the rituals and wrap up the last rites in three days. My son was very upset but we could do nothing because we cannot afford to let him lose his job. Had he been working in UP, things would have been different,” she said.
Mr Gandhi, during his just-concluded five-day tour of central and eastern UP, continued to remain offensive, a trait that is now an integral part of UP politics.
His remark about the “elephant” (BSP symbol) gobbling up money in Lucknow drew a thunderous applause in Maharajganj and Kushinagar and the tone and tenor of his speeches clearly indicated that the Congress was finally in a combative mood.
“The problem with us (Congress) has been that we have never answered back in the language that parties like SP and BSP speak and the Congress is perceived as a weakling by the people. Now that Rahulji has started speaking in a tone laced with aggression and determination, people are beginning to believe that we mean business. Besides, this is also a message for fence-sitters in the Congress,” said a former UPCC president.
The brand new Congress campaign that has a tagline “Jawab Hum Denge”, also reflects this new mood in the party which till now rested its campaigns on photographs and memories of its leaders.
“Rahulji has been travelling through UP and knows the pulse of the people. There is anger welling up among the youth against governments that thrive only on regionalism and casteism and his speeches are merely underlining the fact that UP needs to wake up and vote for development now,” said Mr Raj Babbar who is heading the Congress media campaign in UP.