The red and green flags of the Samajwadi Party (SP) dot the skyline as one drives down from Jaswant Nagar in Etawah to Kannauj. The skyline is interspersed with saffron flags of the BJP or the blue BSP flags. But what is missing is the Congress’ presence in this region. No one is even ready to talk about the grand old party of India.
“Where is Congress here IJ Why should we put up the Congress flag atop our houses,” asks local merchant Rinku Yadav, who had come to attend the poll meeting of Shivpal Singh Yadav, which was also addressed by his elder brother Mulayam Singh Yadav at Hindu College in Jaswant Nagar.
Rinku is a Shivpal’s supporter and admitted that they have not invited the Congress. “Why should we IJ If they want they can join us. We do not need their support. Without Congress’ help, ‘Mantri ji’ (Shivpal) will win this election with a record margin,” he asserted.
A BTech student from a private college in Agra, Shabbir Hussain had a hearty laugh. He could not stop asking this correspondent, “Are you talking about the Congress hereIJ You must be kidding. This is Yadav land, where the Congress is just a nonentity.”
And, indeed, he is not off the mark.
The Congress lost its relevance after 1989 when it lost its Muslim vote bank to the SP and Dalit support to the BSP. As Mulayam increased his political fiefdom over the area spanning from Etah to Kannauj and Mainpuri to Budaun, the Congress was slowly elbowed out of the region.
Septuagenarian Manoj Mishra is a Congress supporter and also an office-bearer in Kannauj Congress Committee, but he is peeved by the present scenario. “The alliance between the Congress and the SP is a death knell for the party in this region. Can you imagine we do not have presence in around 70 Assembly segments nowIJ The party workers are dejected and are sitting at home. They are not taking part in this election campaign,” he rued.
The Congress office in Kannauj wore a deserted look. A peon was sitting outside the office and on seeing a white car, he ran down and shouted, “Koi nahi hai.” When asked where we could meet the leaders, he drew a blank. “Sab apne ghar pe honge, au kahan (all of them would be at their home, where else),” he said trudging back to his chair.
Another Congress sympathiser Satish Dubey said that had the party fielded candidate from Kannauj, they would have been active. So in the present scenario where will the Congress votes goIJ “I can vouch that Congress leaders and workers will not vote for SP candidates as the leaders and workers were not taken into confidence. The upper caste in the Congress could vote for the BJP,” Dubey said.
“This will definitely help the BJP. Upper castes in this area are supporting the BJP. The region has very high number of Brahmins. Folklore has it that all Brahmins in India have emerged from Kannauj. The SP failed to nurse the Brahmin pride. And I will not be surprised if the BJP wins a few seats in Kannauj and Etawah this time,” said the Congress sympathiser.