Once Nehru’s backyard, Phulpur buoyed by Priyanka’s coming; stalwarts pin hope

ALLAHABAD: Appointment of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as party in-charge for east UP has ignited a new hope among Congress loyalists in Phulpur, who feel that like her grand-mother Indira Gandhi, she too can revive party fortunes.


Phulpur was the first parliamentary constituency of Nehru-Gandhi family after Independence. Late PM Jawaharlal Nehru won the seat three times in a row on 1952, 1957 and 1962. After his death, his sister Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit won the byeelection in 1964 and regained the seat in 1967. The seat was again won by Congress candidate VP Singh and Ram Pujan Patel in 1971 and 1984, after which the party lost every election.

The Phulpur parliamentary constituency houses ancestral house of Nehru-Gandhi family, Anand Bhawan, which has now been converted into a

museum

. Former bureaucrat JN Mishra, who was associated with Indira Gandhi and

Sanjay Gandhi

when Congress was out of power from 1977 to 1980, said that after Nehru era, Congress has seen both good times and bad times in terms of Lok Sabha wins but every time a powerful leadership has helped it in overcoming the bad phase. “Indira fought her way to clinch prime minister’s seat amidst party stalwarts in 1967 and grabbed power in 1977. Priyanka will also pose a challenge beginning this LS election,” he said.

Mishra once headed Sanjay Vichar Manch and used to write speeches and letters on behalf of Indira during 1977-1982. The 81-year-old lives in George Town locality of the city.

“Upper caste voters, who used to vote for Congress, are disappointed with the BJP government while Muslims are disillusioned with SP-BSP. So, they will return to us. Priyanka is an alternative leader to those disillusioned voters who have been going to SP, BSP or BJP,” he reasoned. Veteran Congress leader Shyam Surat Upadhayay, 85, who was has minister for three terms from 1980 to 1989, said: “The situation is akin to 1977-1980. The then government had failed to generate employment, country was facing financial crisis and people were looking towards Indira Gandhi. This time also the BJP-led government is no different and every worker wants Priyanka to lead them,” said Upadhyay.

“Rahul has assured that Priyanka is not here for two months. It is a clear message to the core voter of Congress, apart from swinging votes of upper caste and Muslims, that they have got a new leader,” he added. However, many in the constituency claim that charisma of Indira Gandhi’s granddaughter could bring the party into Lok Sabha poll race, but will not be enough to make it a winner. Said Sonu Tiwari, 35, a resident of trans-Yamuna area of Chaka: “Priyanka’s entry into politics might bring the party into the race, but she cannot fetch victory for Congress overnight. Congress may win Phulpur and increase its tally in UP from two to eight seats, but won’t be able to take it up to 25-30 overnight. The SP-BSP alliance might take advantage of the fight between BJP and Congress.” Sonu works as a priest on Ganga bank. “Even after the entry of Priyanka in active politics, the Congress will not be able to attract the voters of SP-BSP. The fight is between BJP and alliance and Congress is not being taken seriously by people,” said Ranjeet Singh, 30, a resident of Arail. Awadesh Singh, 35, of Naini said Congress has to be a part of SP-BSP alliance if it wants to be in the reckoning. “This time, the fight is between the alliance and BJP,” he said.