Congress loses ground to Mayawati, literally

The Congress’ growl last month turned into a whimper today when Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati laid the foundation for Babasaheb...

The Congress’ growl last month turned into a whimper today when Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati laid the foundation for Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar International Social Justice Library and Museum on the plot earmarked for Indira Pratisthan.

On Sept. 30, 50,000 Congress workers had staged a demonstration in Lucknow to wrest back the land from the state. Only 5,000, however, had courted arrest. Today, it whittled down to a symbolic dharna in front of the Legislative Assembly.

‘‘We have not called off our agitation,’’ said state Congress chief Arun Kumar Singh Munna. ‘‘We may take the legal course against forcible occupation of the 25 acres earmarked for Indira Prathisthan by none other than the CM herself.’’

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The rhetoric came rather late in the day for the Congress after it failed to make Mayawati change her mind. The plot was named after former PM Indira Gandhi more than a decade ago. Congress president Sonia Gandhi too had written to the PM, urging his intervention. When there was no response, Congress leaders decided on a demonstration on Sept. 30.

The Congress’ show of defiance today failed to impress. About 30-35 Youth Congress workers posed for TV crews and distributed a typed statement, saying they would ‘‘uproot’’ Mayawati’s projects as soon as their party returned to power, and sped away in their cars soon after. State Youth Congress chief Nadeem Ashraf Jaisi was away at a function and couldn’t find time to lead his men.

Last month, political observers thought the Congress had finally hit upon an emotive issue when it lodged a strong protest against the state’s decision to take over the IGP land in Lucknow for Ambedkar Udayan project.

On Sunday, however, when Mayawati’s office released her Monday programme, the Congress failed to utter a word.

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