Munna is new UPCC chief

With Munna’s elevation, the Congress is seen to have played, yet again, into the caste-politics of UP. An upper caste (Rajput), Munna’s appointment has more to do with so-called encashing of the votes of this caste than any other reason.

Party observers here say the exit of BJP’s Rajnath Singh from the UP scene — he’s another Rajput — made the Congress eager to try and win over the upper caste; hence Munna’s abrupt emergence.

The high command is eyeing the upper-caste vote bank of the BJP which has become somewhat disenchanted with the saffron party due to its alliance with the BSP and neglect of former chief minister Rajnath Singh’s followers in Uttar Pradesh.

The claim of Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tewari, the other prospective candidate for the UP Congress chief’s post, was ignored due to stiff opposition from a section of the partymen for his pronounced pro-Mulayam stand, political observers here say.

Similarly, former UPCC chief Salman Khursheed was overlooked because he was too stridently anti-Mulayam in his public utterances and had all along opposed any move for a truck with the Samajwadi Party.

‘‘By keeping both Pramod and Salman out, Sonia does not wish to commit either way about the party’s future political strategy towards Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party,’’ a senior UPCC functionary said.

Sources close to senior Congressman Motilal Vora, incharge of the UP affairs, explained the decision thus: ‘‘The party had no option but to play its caste-cards right. And here was the situation: While both Vora and the CM of neighbouring Uttaranchal N.D. Tiwari are Brahmins — and Pramod Tiwari too being from the same caste — the party was not inclined to impose so many of them on the state.’’

While an electoral alliance with the SP may have been ruled out for the time being, the Congress wants to keep all options open about a tactical understanding with Mulayam — especially as it wants to see the end of the BJP-BSP coalition in the state as early as possible. The BJP and the BSP have both recently installed Backward leaders as the presidents of their state outfits with an eye on the non-Yadav OBC vote bank.

Mulayam himself is trying to unite the Backwards by joining hands with former chief minister Kalyan Singh’s Rashtriya Kranti Party and Sone Lal Patel’s Apana Dal. ‘‘Since all other parties are wooing the Backwards, the Congress has pinned its hopes on the return of the upper castes — its traditional vote bank which switched over to the BJP following in face of the resurgence of the Mandal forces,’’ a senior Congress leader said.

According to him, the Muslims had shown some signs of a tilt towards the Congress. ‘‘But they will vote for us only when they know we have enough votes in our kitty so as to be able to take on the BJP. Once the upper castes return to the Congress, the Muslims will automatically follow,’’ said a leader.