NEW Delhi, March 19 (Agencies): Congress chief Sonia Gandhi elevated arch-rival Mayawati to a pedestal by identifying to a global audience the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh as a big symbol of women’s empowerment. Sonia, mapping the march of liberation movement of Indian women for the annual London Commonwealth lecture on Thursday, said, “The chief minister of India’s most populous state is a woman from a section of society subjected to discrimination for centuries.”
The special mention for Mayawati came amid an assertion that India’s President, Speaker and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha were women while they also headed four national parties. The remark has surprised observers and party insiders alike, as it comes amid a bitter battle that Congress is locked in with the dalit outfit for revival in politically important Uttar Pradesh. Congress called it political grace. AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh told TOI, “That is the kind of statesmanship Nehru-Gandhi family is known for.” Sonia’s statement, however, set off interpretations given that such praise for rivals is rare in polarized politics, especially as it came before an international audience and in the same breath as Sonia’s repeated reference to former prime minister Indira Gandhi as a big agent of change. For observers, it is not necessarily a concession if a rival celebrates Mayawati as a symbol for women and for underprivileged dalits.
In the backdrop of strong attacks on Mayawati, with heir apparent Rahul Gandhi leading the charge, the soft-touch complements as political strategy. Congress has accused the chief minister of being interested only in votes and not welfare of dalits, aggression which does not always go down well with dalit activists. The senior Gandhi’s acknowledgement of the rival’s stature may look to bolster Congress’s acceptability among the BSP vote base. The gambit is not new. Many outfits have tried to appropriate the BSP support base by upholding Mayawati’s preeminence among the vast dalit base. BJP’s objective behind propping her up as chief minister thrice was to tap into the 21% voters of Uttar Pradesh. Congress, as reflected by Sonia’s statement, has not gone so far but may only be looking to deftly play on the symbolism.
The special mention for Mayawati came amid an assertion that India’s President, Speaker and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha were women while they also headed four national parties. The remark has surprised observers and party insiders alike, as it comes amid a bitter battle that Congress is locked in with the dalit outfit for revival in politically important Uttar Pradesh. Congress called it political grace. AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh told TOI, “That is the kind of statesmanship Nehru-Gandhi family is known for.” Sonia’s statement, however, set off interpretations given that such praise for rivals is rare in polarized politics, especially as it came before an international audience and in the same breath as Sonia’s repeated reference to former prime minister Indira Gandhi as a big agent of change. For observers, it is not necessarily a concession if a rival celebrates Mayawati as a symbol for women and for underprivileged dalits.
In the backdrop of strong attacks on Mayawati, with heir apparent Rahul Gandhi leading the charge, the soft-touch complements as political strategy. Congress has accused the chief minister of being interested only in votes and not welfare of dalits, aggression which does not always go down well with dalit activists. The senior Gandhi’s acknowledgement of the rival’s stature may look to bolster Congress’s acceptability among the BSP vote base. The gambit is not new. Many outfits have tried to appropriate the BSP support base by upholding Mayawati’s preeminence among the vast dalit base. BJP’s objective behind propping her up as chief minister thrice was to tap into the 21% voters of Uttar Pradesh. Congress, as reflected by Sonia’s statement, has not gone so far but may only be looking to deftly play on the symbolism.
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