Nothing wrong if someone helping Congress at lower levels: Madhusudan Mistry

How do you see the ground situation in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the elections?

I am very hopeful of the Congress’s prospects because we have been preparing for long. When I took over as in-charge of UP we decided we must have an organisational setup up to village level. Our first priority was to register our presence. We conducted many programmes for our workers to protest against the SP government.

Where is the party infrastructure?

I am coming to that. In Congress programmes, people used to come and disperse. We needed an active unit at block level. It needed surgery on our part as well. To begin with, we conducted a huge exercise, took into account block-level Congressmen’s opinions, and nominated almost all district presidents. After that we formed district committees. Our priority was to activate block-level units; it was a difficult task and took much longer. We formed around 800 block-level units and gave them their first programme: opposing Prime Minister Modi’s land acquisition bill. I am happy to share that the opposition was quite successful and people assembled in large numbers in Congress meetings.

Yet you lost so badly in two recent byelections.

I should remind you that we won one seat in the byelections. And I was hoping for a good performance in Ghazipur but due to a few reasons, which I know of well, we lost.

But shouldn’t the Congress’s organisational capacities be visible?

I would say that in around 50 per cent of nyay panchayats, around 80 per cent of block panchayats and in almost all districts, we have a dedicated group of political people who can raise the flag of the Congress. I tell you it is not a hypothetical claim. One of my counterparts [Prashant Kishor, adviser to Congress in UP and Punjab] has, in fact, double-checked the names of block presidents and of 20 dedicated Congressmen given to them. I have been told that out of the 8,000 names of UP Congressmen, our counterpart who is helping us found that 7,700 names were correct and responded to calls.

Have you started any exercise for the assembly elections next year?

We have almost completed it. I tell you, we have probable candidates’ names ready from four different sources. In December, we did a professional survey. Before that, we had sent teams of 20 observers in August 2015 to prepare a panel of candidates in each constituency. They have submitted a voluminous report with details of three candidates each for 400 seats. For 21 days, for more than ten hours daily, we have carried out an exercise meeting block and district presidents of some 375 assembly seats. It was a fruitful exercise. In these 21 days we got the preferred candidates’ names from block presidents.

Are you saying you are ahead of even the BJP in this exercise?

I don’t know what they are doing and what they know. I don’t care. What we are concerned about is what we are doing. I am satisfied that we have done our homework… We will be in a position to declare the names of 250 candidates by August.

If you were working so hard, why enlist the services of Prashant Kishor?

I don’t want to comment on it. It’s the decision of the high command. Our job is to cooperate if somebody is trying to help us out to see that we go from 28 to 228 seats. A lot of people come at the time of elections to help us. There is nothing wrong if someone is helping at the lower levels to see that the Congress wins an assembly seat.

There is a saying that too many cooks spoils the broth.

The question of too many cooks spoiling the broth comes when egos clash, when one cook wants to make it in a certain way and another says prepare it differently. Which is not the case in UP, but some people are trying to create [an impression of an ego clash]. In fact, we are working quite nicely. Still, news reports keep coming that the PCC is not supporting his efforts. It’s completely wrong. We are providing all the things that he wanted, like organising meetings with all district presidents, seat-wise names of candidates. We have organised their [Kishor’s team] meetings with Mahila Congress, NSUI, SC, minorities [wings] etc, and all office-bearers. Wherever they are going in the districts, a minimum 200 people come up to work for the party. They have a free hand and are in a position to assess and decide.

Then what is lacking in the UP Congress?

I will tell you what is lacking. We are very good at arranging programmes and arranging ourselves but we will have to go to the people. UP voters haven’t discarded us but our state leadership has perhaps stopped going to the people. That contact has to be reestablished.

Who will do that?

We are trying. We are trying to galvanise people to go to the people and hear their issues. In UP, I must say, in quite a number of seats, if not in all the seats, there are torchbearers of the Congress right at the bottom level.

What will Prashant Kishor do?

Teams will be formed of Congress people. They will meet youth, caste and community leaders, every type of voter. They will do perception management, they will expose the government.

Is it true that Kishor proposed the name of Priyanka Gandhi as CM candidate?

I don’t know. I have no clue. I haven’t talked to Priyankaji or anybody else. When the name of Rahulji came up, I told the media that he is the material for a PM and president of Congress. Why should he be confined to Uttar Pradesh?

What about Kishor’s idea of playing the Brahmin card?

I can’t answer it. The matter rests with the high command. They know UP better than anyone else. They know how and where we should take the party. There are a number of issues they will decide.

But you have always stood up for the marginalised classes during elections. Can you now play the Brahmin card?

Marginalised people will remain our priority, always. The Congress is known for its pro-poor stand but it doesn’t mean you neglect others. Being a national party, you can’t oppose A or B. We have to keep the character of walking with all.

Do you think if Rahul Gandhi becomes Congress president, it will help in UP?

Rahul Gandhi is an alternate awaz to Modi. He will certainly help but I think it’s a wrong way to think. What are we doing? I am going to propose that each UP Congress leader takes responsibility of two seats. Don’t worry about all seats. Why don’t you work hard to win two seats? Why pass the burden on Rahul ji? If the UP-based leaders work, then we can win 250 seats easily.