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Maya’s rant apart, Rahul marches on

Mayawati’s threat of withdrawing support to the central government not withstanding, Rahul Gandhi’s efforts to reach out dalits, adivasis and tribals will continue

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NEW DELHI: Mayawati’s threat of withdrawing support to the central government not withstanding, Rahul Gandhi’s efforts to reach out dalits, adivasis and tribals will continue.

“While we value her (Maya’s) support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, it cannot be at the cost of principles,” says Digvijay Singh, All-India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh (UP.)

While Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi flew off to Kolkata to join Shah Rukh Khan at the Eden Gardens for the Night Riders’ T20 match against Hyderabad Deccan Chargers, Congress political managers remained unfazed about the mercurial UP chief minister’s threat.

“There is absolutely no threat to our government, even if she chooses to withdraw. We have the numbers,” a senior UPA functionary told DNA.

The party’s political managers are in fact quite enthused by the feedback they have been receiving on Rahul’s outreach programme and he is being encouraged to continue. Senior Congress leaders believe Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Maya’s hysterical reaction is a testimony to the fact that Rahul’s foray are beginning to worry her.

“She believes dalits are her property and views Rahul Gandhi as a challenge,” said a Congress working committee (CWC) member.

Rahul has been visiting areas dominated by dalits and tribals. He launched the outreach programme two months ago spending a night with a dalit family in Amethi, and followed it up with a visit to the drought-hit Bundelkhand region, setting the alarm bells ringing for Mayawati. Further, Rahul paid a surprise visit to a dalit family in Etawah and two days ago, to Bundelkhand. He even had a meal with a dalit family there.

Mayawati’s reacted in the manner she knows best, launching a vicious personal attack on Rahul, accusing him of  purifying himself after every visit to a dalit basti by bathing with a foreign soap. On Saturday, she threatened to  withdraw support to the UPA government.

So far, the Congress has refused to back down. Its political managers believe Rahul is on the right track. Their argument is the party cannot afford to let the impression gain ground that Mayawati has proprietorial rights over dalits.

“It’s not as if we have discovered dalits and tribals recently, our concern for them is as old as the party itself,” says CWC member Devendra Dwivedi. The party also believes it’s important for the Congress to assert its presence and concern for these section even outside UP, to prevent parties such as the BSP from gaining ground in these areas.
j_ansari@dnaindia.net
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