The Congress victories in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly elections, the results of which were declared on Tuesday, have given a much-needed shot in the arm to the party cadre in the state ahead of the next year’s Lok Sabha elections. Advertising The BJP’s reversal of fortune in the Hindi heartland has changed the political calculations in the state and certainly increased the stature of Rajya Sabha MP and retired IAS officer PL Punia, one of the forces leading the Congress towards absolute majority in Chhattisgarh. With both the Samajwadi Party (SP) as well as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which have been claiming to go alone so far, offering their support to Congress in Madhya Pradesh, the results have boosted the party cadre in Uttar Pradesh. Explained Cong goes all out to win Dalit vote pie The assembly election results declared on Tuesday have given an upper hand to the Congress, which now looks forward to pull out all stops to woo the Dalits and other backward sections ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Moreover, the recent resignation of Savitri Bai Phule, the BJP MP from Bahraich reserved Lok Sabha constituency, has added to the worries of the BJP here. While the political parties in the state will have to rethink their strategies for the upcoming general elections, sources within Congress said that Dalits and backwards would certainly be on the agenda of Congress. “Our party has always worked for the upliftment of the Dalits. The BJP might say a lot, but their actions have always been anti-Dalit. We will reach out to the Dalits in a more rigorous manner now,” said Bhagwati Chaudhary, Congress SC department chairman. Sources within the party said that the results, especially in Chhattisgarh, has increased the party’s importance among the SC/STs in the state, which are being targeted by both the Congress and the BJP through their respective campaigns. However, better performance by the Congress on reserved seats has raised hopes of the cadre. Out of 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, there are 17 reserved constituencies, which include Barabanki, earlier represented by PL Punia himself, Bahraich, from where recently BJP MP Savitri Bai Phule resigned, Nagina, Bulandshahr, Hathras, Agra, Shahjahanpur etc. Advertising “I am working for the organisation and it is a continuous effort. While none were looking towards Chhattisgarh, the absolute majority here and the performance in other two states, is clearly an indication that Modi’s popularity graph is going down,” PL Punia, AICC General Secretary and in-charge of Chhattisgarh unit, told The Indian Express from Raipur. He said that he will have to give special attention to his former Lok Sabha constituency Barabanki, where his son Tanuj Patel has been working on the ground so far. “There is very little time left for the Lok Sabha elections. So, we will have to be more focused. I will undertake the responsibilities given to me and focus more on Barabanki,” said Punia, a retired IAS office, who during his tenure had worked on significant posts, including in the Chief Minister’s Office of both Mayawati as well as Mulayam Singh Yadav. “It is a good sign for us, especially Uttar Pradesh. The results have proven that Dalits have understood that the solution to their problems lies with the Congress and they will now look forward to having the same party at the Centre to save the constitutional provisions,” said Bhagwati Chaudhary, head of UP Congress SC Department. “It is a proud moment for us as the success in Chhattisgarh has come under the charge of PL Punia, who belongs to UP. While his roles are to be decided by the party high command, we certainly look forward to his presence here in Uttar Pradesh as well to boost the cadre,” Chaudhary added. Another party leader on condition of anonymity said, “At a time, when there was no positive signal to look forward to, the results have come as a boon. It has given hope to the cadre in the state. Moreover, regional parties, which were cornering the Congress have also understood that it remains a significant force and is not dead, which is visible in their change of tone.”

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