When Parliament elections in Uttar Pardesh starting from Western UP and nomination for first two phases already started, Rahul Gandhi’s move to hold his first election rally in Pratapgarh on coming Saturday surprised the entire Congress camp except Pramod Tewari, for whom it would prove just like killing two birds with one stone.
On one hand the Congress vice-president’s rally would help Pramod to regain his stature in the Party which he lost after Rahul Gandhi made distance from him and also removed him from the Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader, the post which he held for a record time, but it would also help much awaited ambition of Tewari to establish political career of his daughter Anuradha Mishra aka Mona, who is all set to contest bi-elections from Rampurkhas Assembly segment of Pratapgarh. Rampurkhas seat was lying vacant after Pramod managed a Rajya Sabha birth following a `secret’ pact with the ruling Samajwadi Party.
Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi not took a U-turn just in case of Pramod, but earlier he made similar move in the case of Sanjay Singh. The sitting MP from Sultanpur shared dais with Bharatiya Janta Party leaders and hinted of not only joining the saffron brigade but also to contest elections from Amethi. Facing challenge for the first time in Amethi from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Kumar Vishwas, Congress `yuvraj’ who made distance from Sanjay Singh, suddenly facilitated a birth for Sultanpur MP into Rajya Sabha and that too from Assam. Not only this, Rahul also fielded Sanjay Singh’s wife Amita Singh in the coming Parliament elections from Sultanpur even when she lost last Assembly elections from Amethi.
Sources said that Congress top brass were seeking time of Rahul Gandhi to organise a big rally in Western UP where elections process already started. Sources confirmed that the leaders were almost certain that Rahul would gave his nod for a rally from Aligarh from where he started his fight in the Bhatta Parsaul controversy or from Muzaffarnagar, where he visited twice to put balm on wounds of riot victims. It may be also mentioned that even union minister for Steel, Beni Prasad Verma sought time for Rahul to organise a big rally of farmers here in lucknow.
However, when everyone was anxiously waiting for Rahul’s approval, Congress vice-president gave them a `shock’ when he announced to hold rally in Pratapgarh that too on request of Pramod Tewari, the leader from whom `Yuvraj’ maintain distance after witnessing a humiliating defeat during last Assembly elections. Rahul, who not visited Tewari’s residence after death of his wife even when he was camping in his Parliament constituency Amethi, had also ensured unceremonious exit of Tewari by removing him from ClP post and giving no other assignments in UP or in the Centre.
Sources further said that Rahul, who was already not happy with Pramod, was further annoyed with him after the former ClP made a secret pact with Samajwadi Party to enter Rajya Sabha from UP. A big section of Congress leaders accused Tewari of having truck with SP and that he would soon left the Party to join Mulayam’s team. However, known for playing his cards well as per his needs, Tewari remained in Congress and finally he succeeded not only bringing Rahul to address a rally in Pratapgarh but sources said that he also get Yuvraj’s approval to forward his legacy to his daughter Mona by ensuring a victory from Rampurkhas Assembly segment, the seat which Tewari won for a record 9 time in a row. Whether Rahul rally in Pratapgarh would help the Party in on-going elections or not but it helped Pramod to establish himself a leader who is close to Gandhi family as well as to pass his political legacy to his daughter.
It may be mentioned that Pramod Tewari brought no fruits for the Party in the last over two decades though he just managed to retain his own seat as well as to remain ClP before being shunted out after last Assembly elections. Interestingly, it was always state party president who were held responsible for debacle and shifted but Tewari continued to enjoy the post since he took it 1989 till 2012.