Press Trust of India held an exclusive interview with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Tuesday talked about Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra spoke to PTI about the polarising rhetoric, her party’s stand on it with their key focus on development issues, women as a distinct political entity, and impact of farm laws, and the Lakhimpur Kheri incident on the polls.
She stressed her belief that politics focus now has to change where elections must be fought on issues of development – employment, job creation, health services, education stating that these should be central to their talks and debate. She stated emphatically that the Congress party in UP is working on a positive and progressive agenda declining to engage in a negative discourse.
When asked about the farm bills and the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, she mentioned, “They have been a source of immense pain to farmers across the state but especially in Western UP. I do believe that the government’s indifference, its hostile and autocratic approach towards the farmers who were protesting and those who lost their lives, will play an important part in determining the outcome of the elections in the Western belt.”
She brought out some big steps that marked a difference that Congress took where though caste and religious equations have played a part, Congress made some refreshing changes for a “new kind of politics” by even giving a ticket to the mother of the Unnao rape victim, Asha Singh.
Priyanka Gandhi said she believes this step will spur great change for women who make up 50% of the population, but are very under-represented in politics, when drawn into the political and electoral force would realize their own value and strength in politically to transform the strength and caliber of politics of in India.
She said, “The purpose of giving the Unnao rape victim’s mother a ticket to fight the election is to convey a very direct message: The person who destroyed her family could do so and get away with it because he was an MLA, he had political power; we are enabling her to take that very same power, become an MLA and use her power to rebuild her life and help others.”
She went on to say, “The same goes for others like her who have genuinely struggled for the rights of their community whether it is Poonam Pandey, the ‘Asha bahu’ who was thrashed by the Yogi government just for demanding to be heard, or Ramraj Gond who led the struggle of the people of Umbha after the heinous massacre that took place with the collusion of the government and police in their village. Political power rightfully belongs to them, not to the mafias and criminals whom the government protects. We are offering them the opportunity to claim it and use it to do good.”
When questioned about the COVID handling, she stated that the Yogi government’s handling particularly of the second wave of Covid was disastrous failing miserably without protecting the people and did not provide health facilities with scarcities of oxygen, medication, and hospital beds. Worse still, was an aggressor towards the public and those providing health services mounting up an atmosphere of fear.
She said, “I feel that a government must be held accountable for its actions. When so many lives are lost and people go through so much suffering, it should not be brushed under the carpet. It is up to us as a people to demand accountability from those in power. This is a fundamental aspect of democracy.”
On speaking about polarisation she mentioned that the polarizing force of the BJP or the Samajwadi Party serves the same purpose, saying, “It suits both these parties as it consolidates their vote bases. She stressed that the answer to this kind of politics lies in refocusing the agenda on development.
She said, “People are suffering — they have to be made to connect this suffering to the lack of governance. Event management is not the same as effective governance. People have to be made to understand that, and demand good governance.”
She stressed the need to build infrastructure, to improve education and healthcare, provide jobs, and reduce the massive hit that small industries and businesses have taken post-Corona.
She said, “People have to be shown that there is a choice. Another kind of politics is possible, and it is more beneficial to them than the politics of division which only benefits certain political parties.”
When PTI asked her about Congress contesting all 403 seats and would they be open to a post-poll alliance to keep out the BJP from coming back to power, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra answered, “We will take a call on this once the election results are out and if and when such a situation should arise. I feel it would be premature to comment on it at this point.”
When asked about whether BJP gained an advantage in this election fought largely through social media and in the digital space, she replied that BJP does have an advantage as they are the resource-rich party with elaborate social media machinery and even Samajwadi Party has made an appeal to the EC regarding this. She then said confidently that why should Congress be daunted by this and with intelligence and skill, can meet the challenge too.
She went on to say that they have switched focus to their door-to-door campaigns, amplified it, and converted all their women’s town halls and other events into online events. On the ground, they are doing small chaupals, using videos and other tools to spread our message. She said they are working relentlessly while adhering to all the COVIDprotocols.
When PIT asked her about Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath having been fielded from Gorakhpur by the BJP, she replied, “Looks to me like his leadership is attempting to cut him to size. It’s an open secret that they have been wanting to do so for some time. Their internal pushes and pulls are beginning to reveal themselves in public now. I suppose in an autocratic system like theirs, there can only be one supreme leader.”
On the whole, it looks like Congress is fighting this election with a reinvigorated footing with fresh focuses with a new team and it is going to be a nail-biting 2022 election season in Uttar Pradesh with big parties tussling neck and neck.