Sheila’s onerous task

To lead the Congress Party’s poll campaign as a high- profile chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh is an onerous task. The job has fallen in Sheila Dikshit’s lap, which considering her age — 78 — is a curious appointment at a time when more and more young voters are getting to exercise their franchise. But, as a Gandhi family and party loyalist, she had few equals who could have aspired for the honour, if indeed it is that considering that Congress rule was over in the country’s biggest political state on December 5, 1989. As the loyal “aunt” who ruled Delhi for 15 years, she at least represents the Gandhi family’s interests in UP — from where Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul, party president and vicepresident, respectively, have been elected to Parliament — and continues a very long family tradition.

Opponents may snigger on the grounds that this is one way to keep the “scapegoat” option open, but it could represent the resolve of Congress leaders to keep it in the first family. Sentimental references like Dikshit being a “bahu” of the state may have less meaning than what strategy the party can whip up to restore face and resurrect itself in UP, where the SP, BSP or BJP have ruled ever since Mulayam Singh Yadav displaced the Congress and snatched power for the then Janata Dal 27 years ago. The Congress would be hoping a shrewd pre- poll tie- up, as in West Bengal, would do wonders. Only time will tell if Sheila Dikshit, who lost Delhi to Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP, is the right person to bring about what appears to be a very long shot.