New Delhi, October 7 (Daily Kiran) : Congress has made a significant organizational change by appointing Aradhna Mishra Mona as the president of its Uttar Pradesh unit, replacing Ajay Rai. This move signals the party’s intent to strengthen its political base ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The strategy appears to be a renewed effort to engage with Brahmin voters, revisiting a past formula.
However, this approach may clash with the newly minted “PDA” slogan from the Samajwadi Party (SP), led by Akhilesh Yadav. If Congress aims to revive its fortunes in Uttar Pradesh through targeted outreach to Brahmins, it mirrors a strategy first implemented about a decade ago under political strategist Prashant Kishor.
Before the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Congress had enlisted Kishor to formulate a revival strategy. Reports indicated that the strategist advocated for presenting a prominent Brahmin candidate for the chief minister position, believing it could help the party reconnect with this voter segment. At that time, Sheila Dikshit’s name was mentioned as a potential candidate, given her ties to the Brahmin community and her popularity among upper-caste voters.
Kishor’s strategy was grounded in the belief that Brahmins constituted approximately 10 to 12 percent of the total electorate in Uttar Pradesh. Unfortunately, this initiative failed spectacularly, with Congress winning only seven out of 403 assembly seats.
Interestingly, Kishor has since transitioned into active politics and is now an elected member of the Bihar assembly. The results from the 2021 Uttar Pradesh elections suggested that caste alone may not be a sufficient organizational foundation. Nevertheless, Congress appears optimistic this time, buoyed by its alliance with the SP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Nonetheless, any attempt by Congress to woo Brahmins could challenge Akhilesh Yadav’s outreach efforts. Over the past two years, the SP leader has been broadening the meaning of public presence. Originally articulated as “Backward, Dalit, Minority,” this acronym has become the organizational slogan for the SP’s 2024 campaign.
Recently, Yadav sought to reassure Brahmins that they are included in this framework. Addressing a gathering in Lucknow, he emphasized that the “P” in PDA also stands for “Pandit,” accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of neglecting and disrespecting the community. Analysts view this as a significant shift, as the SP has long been perceived as relying on the Muslim-Yadav (MY) coalition.
The renewed emphasis on Brahmins signals an effort to build a broader anti-BJP social coalition, potentially expanding the party’s base to include non-Yadav OBCs and Dalits.
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