About a dozen prominent minority community leaders in the Congress are yet to get a role in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, expected early next year.
The reports coming from UP are encouraging with Bahujan Samaj Party supremo and chief minister Mayawati recognising the Congress as her party’s main rival in the coming electoral battle.
The Congress has to consolidate its support base among Muslims, Brahmins and dalits, the party’s traditional winning combination.
But minority leaders have yet to be involved fully in elections in which the party will take on the BSP, SP and the BJP simultaneously.
The leaders include Mr C.K. Jaffer Sharief, Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha Rahman Khan, Mr Aslam Sher Khan, Mohammed Afzal, alias Meem Afzal, Syed Sibtey Razi, Wasim Ahmad, Dr Shakeel Ahmad, Begum Noor Bano and Mohsina Kidwai.
While Mr Azad had earlier led the electoral battle as the AICC general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, the Congress strategists had at one time thought to get mileage of the image of former Union minister A.R. Antulay in the state.
The SP-BSP’s support base among minorities has already received a major jolt as seen in the Lok Sabha elections.
Their appeal is declining because of poor governance and marginalisation of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Mandal and Mandir card had helped these parties. But this time, the election is being fought on different issues.