Sonia Helps Cong Regain Lost Base In Bihar

She came, addressed rallies and she conquered. Sonia Gandhis election campaign in Bihar has helped the Congress regain some of its lost social base among the Dalits and Brahmins.

While her campaigning is unlikely to translate into Lok Sabha seats for the Congress in north Bihar (except Kaithar), she has certainly given an edge to the party in southern Bihar. The Congress, which won only two seats in the state in 1996, is now expected to do well in Katihar, Khunti, Rajmahal, Gidridih and Ranchi.

It is widely believed that her entry into politics and her forays into Bihar politics was a case of too little too late. Observers say that the Sitaram Kesri brand of backward politics had already done an irreparable damage to the Congress, one fallout of which was Jagannath Mishras exit from the Congress. However, even her late entry appears to have made some impact.

 

Tariq Anwar was to lose the Katihar seat. Things started changing after Sonia came. Katihar had never seen such crowd. It seemed the entire Bihars population was there to have a glimpse of Soniaji, Mohan Prasad, a shop-keeper Rantara in Katihar said. Mushir Khan, who came all the way from Madhepura for the rally, concurred. We know that Tariq Sahab is a good candidate and a national leader. But we were not sure about his victory, until Soniajis rally, he added. The Katihar rally appears to have had a domino effect on other areas.

Sonia Gandhi, however, has not been able to assuage the anti-Congress feelings of the Muslims. Some leaders make political parties great and some destroy great political parties. The Congress was destroyed by leaders like P V Narasimha Rao and Sitaram Kesri, Anees Mukhtar, a hotel owner in Kishanganj said.

The general impression among Muslims is that Sonia Gandhis apology on the Babri Masjid demolition will not cut much ice. They say that since she was not responsible for the demolition, the apology would not make any difference.

Muslim indifference apart, her campaigning has enthused party workers besides making an abiding impact on women and the Congress erstwhile base among the Dalits and Brahmins. There is already talk that the Congress will soon bounce back, albeit with a new social combination.

Before Sonia Gandhi took the plunge, there was a drift of Brahmins away from the Congress. Vaibhav Kumar, a Brahmin from Saharsa, had decided to support the Bharatiya Janata Party.

But in her, he saw a dynamic personality who could fulfil Rajiv Gandhis dream of steering India into the twentifirst century.

Kumar says: Every other politician is facing charges of corruption. She has a clean slate. The Bofors charge is just on eyewash, an election gimmick; we need a party like the Congress with Sonia as its leader.

He agreed with West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basus statement that she should not be held responsible for whatever her husband did. Her appeal is contrasted with the kichdi governments by non-Congress parties.

Judging by the response to Sonias Congress in Bihar, it would appear that she has already initiated the process for the emergence of a new social configuration of Dalits and Brahmins. If the Rashtriya Janata Dals alliance with the Congress continues, Yadavs and Muslims will get added to the emerging list.