Alliance with Samajwadi Party likely to hit Rahul Gandhi’s dalit mission

NEW DELHI: The possibility of an alliance with SP in UP has cast a shadow on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s two-year-old mission of grooming Dalit leaders in the state.

With 56 of the 84 reserved constituencies held by SP in the assembly, the incumbent party is unlikely to cede these seats to Congress in the event of a tie-up. This is sure to embitter the candidates banking on Congress.

Congress’ state unit is fearing a backlash from its grassroots cadre that had been working hard in the 84 constituencies under a scientifically designed programme called Leadership Development Mission. Gandhi, who had been monitoring the initiative, had promised to give political space to the Dalit leaders.

Over the past two years, three candidates in each of the 84 constituencies had been identified, given electoral tasks and monitored over parameters to choose the best-suited candidate.

“We don’t know what to say to these young leaders,” a senior Congress functionary told ET. “They have been working hard to get tickets.

They would be obviously disappointed. It would be difficult to justify the alliance to them and tougher to hold their interest for the next five years.”

Congress’ SC department chief and Gandhi’s trusted lieutenant K Raju said: “In case the alliance fructifies, we would have to tell our partymen that the alliance has been forged for the larger good — to keep BJP out.”

Some state leaders said they feared the backlash within the cadre could be equally fierce in the general seats.