Rahul Gandhi Making Waves in Uttar Pradesh – Cause of Worry for Mayawathi

If what was reported is true, then Shatrugan Sinha, the BJP leader from Bihar is in for big trouble for heaping lavish praise on Rahul’s leadership qualities.

Acknowledging that Rahul Gandhi has a big future for his dynamic leadership quality and his hard work with people of lower strata, Shatrugan “Shotgun” Sinha said Rahul Gandhi is a dynamic and promising leader. “He (Rahul) is hard working and his work for the common people at the grassroots level is appreciable… he has a bright future,” the actor-turned-politician said on his arrival in Patna from Nagpur.

Sensing that his remarks may stir up a controversy or two, Shatrugan Sinha clarified that people need not read too much into his remarks as they are purely his personal views. No politics involved in it.

Sinha went on to say that all the hard work and effort put in by Rahul Gandhi with the people would bear fruit one day since he has a lot of promise for the future.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi created a stir in Uttar Pradesh when he made an unscheduled visit to the state to work with the people. The security breach by the Nehru scion was not new. He did it in the past when he strolled alone with his sister Priyanka in the streets of Delhi and Lucknow. He wanted to be known as a friend of the common man. Why not? However, he made the life of the security forces miserable as he is a high risk leader given Zplus security.

It was a surprise visit by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday that left the Uttar Pradesh Police in a tizzy and Chief Minister Mayawati fuming. It all started last week around 3 pm on Wednesday afternoon, when he was spotted leaving an Indian Airlines flight at the Lucknow airport. He was then seen on the streets of Lucknow, seated in an Innova, with his security following him in three SUVs. He then visited the flood affected Sharashvati District and even spent a night in the house of Chand Ram Pasi, a Dalit, and had dinner with him. He was also seen helping the students of a primary school. He had taken a bath in the open air to the disbelief of many villagers. Finally, a true ‘Gandhi’ has arrived in Uttar Pradesh.

It was not show biz nor a publicity stunt. Rahul meant what he did, though to the discomfiture of Maya and company. He is out to do what Mahatma did, identifying himself with the poorest of the poor. If he is doing it on his own, sacrificing all his comforts, so why should anyone have any grievance? It was not for publicity or to win votes. It was a sheer act of humanity, displayed time and again by a scion of the Nehru family because he sincerely feels that India certainly lives in villages as Mahatma said, long back. We cannot stop appreciating such efforts by such young leaders. In Rahul Gandhi, one can see a practicing leader who has a genuine concern for the poor and wanted to do something for them.

Rahul Gandhi through his act of sneaking into the state and absconding for 18 hours breaching protocol may not have been well taken by many in UP, especially the UP police. But this Gandhi made a strong statement that he wanted to live with the down trodden people and understand their problems. Such a leader, attracting high praise from Shatrugan Sinha, a BJP leader.

Now the focus is sure to shift from Maya’s BSP to Congress as the cause of Dalits will no longer be the monopoly of BSP. Rahul as a matter of fact has clearly taken a march over Mayawathi, who has done nothing for the Dalits except building monuments. The state of UP requires development of rural infrastructure to fight the drought and provide electricity to all the villages not to speak of potable water which is in short supply. Urgently, the villages in UP require good school buildings and roads, not monuments.

SP and BSP are likely to find the Congress party a bigger challenge to their monopoly in the state of Uttar Pradesh when they go to the polls next, as Rahul Gandhi is preparing the ground for the success of Congress on its own. It would be no wonder, if Congress unseats the BSP and captures power in the State on its own. If this happens, it would be due to sheer hard work of Rahul Gandhi. Rightly, Shatrugan Sinha said Rahul’s hard work would pay high dividends in the future. His conclusion that Rahul holds a promise for future is no wishful thinking but hard and true fact.

Rahul Gandhi’s work in UP may be a wakeup call to all the political parties. Work for the people and develop the state, if they wish to be in contention. Jai Hind.