Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Congress’s last hope” (July 16). In a bizarre move, the Congress has pulled a rabbit out of its hat by projecting former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit as its chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh.
Election strategist Prashant Kishor chose her on the logic that the Brahmin voter in the State can be lured by a prominent Brahmin face like Dikshit, who was born in a Punjabi Khatri family, and is also the daughter-in-law of Uttar Pradesh Congress veteran Uma Shankar Dikshit who had served as a Union Minister and Governor for a long time. It has been more than 30 years since the party ruled that State, and the entry of Dikshit will require a Herculean push by the party to be a real contender for the top stakes.