THE decline of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh is best epitomised in the traditional Nehru-Gandhi constituencies, where their candidates once never really had to canvass, they just paid a courtesy call. And won hands down. Jawaharlal Nehru at Phoolpur, Indira Gandhi at Rae Bareli (where she lost in 1977) and Rajiv and brother Sanjay at Amethi. Sonia was quick to acknowledge the point at her Amethi rally: "I am deeply grateful to all of you who have traditionally voted the Congress."
In Rae Bareli, for instance, the local Congress MLA and the man who organises successful rallies in Amethi, Akhilesh Singh, says the current elections are like a semi-final: "Watch the Congress zoom back next time here." The seat is currently held by the BJP's Ashok Singh, who won convincingly last time. By the looks of it, the BJP seems to be on a good wicket this time too. Reason: the Congress ticket has been allotted to Deepa Kaul, a cousin of Indira Gandhi and daughter of housing scam-accused Sheila Kaul. While the family connections are impeccable, the ability to deliver is perhaps not. Compounding Kaul's problems is the total lack of any party organisation, which has veered towards the BJP, like everywhere else in UP.
At Amethi itself, the newest of the dynastic constituencies, Congress candidate Satish Sharma would certainly have been in trouble, but for the fact that Sonia paid a visit and that the BJP candidate, Sanjay Singh, is so discredited that he prefers to campaign within the quiet confines of his palace.
In fact, Amethi is not quite the pampered constituency it once was. With Rajiv gone for close to seven years, Amethi itself is in a bit of a soup. Its industries—which employed thousands of voters and their families—are closing down or shifting out. First the P.V. Narasimha Rao government froze all funds for the constituency. Then came a number of state governments not particularly enthused by the Gandhi clan. The result: some key industries like the Jagdishpur oil pipeline may be shifted.
Take the change that has come over Phoolpur, once Jawaharlal Nehru's constituency. Changing caste equations have left the Congress in a lurch. Important castes are attached to political parties of choice and are therefore predictable: Yadavs back the Samajvadi Party, Brahmins the BJP while the Dalits will go with the BSP. In Phoolpur, says Awadesh Shukla, a 68-year-old who voted and worked for Nehru in 1957: "These times are different. Just the appearance of Panditji would have pumped adrenalin." The times have obviously changed.
But Amethi still has its Gandhi loyalists. Come the dynasty and Amethi bard Jagdish Piyush swings into action. His latest two-liner about Rahul Gandhi: "Congress ki dhaal hai, naya Jawaharlal hai
(Rahul is the Congress shield, like a brand-new Jawaharlal)." Gushes Piyush: "With Rahul and Priyanka, Nehru's roses are fresh again." But for how long?
