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SP sings a different tune in Rae Bareli

By J.P. Shukla

RAE BARELI, APRIL 13. Is the "foreign origin" of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, an election issue for the Samajwadi Party? Yes and no.

The SP leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mulayam Singh Yadav, has publicly disapproved of the Bharatiya Janata Party raising the foreign origin issue on the ground that asking questions about someone's birth naturally evokes emotions. The BJP had been a past master in playing with the emotions of the people for harvesting political crops and that alone was the reason why it had raised the issue during the present elections, Mr. Yadav reasoned.

But in Rae Bareli, from where the Congress president has entered the election arena, the SP candidate, Ashok Singh, has been using Ms. Gandhi's foreign origin as his main poll plank. The two favourite slogans that find place in the posters of the Samajwadi Party candidate in Rae Bareli are: "Ashok Singh ko jitayenge, videshi mahila ko bhagayenge" (We will elect Ashok Singh and chase away the foreign woman) and "Desh ka karz chukana hai, videshi mahila ko bhagana hai" (We have to pay off the country's debt by chasing away the foreign woman).

The Bahujan Samaj Party leader, Mayawati, has not lagged behind. Normally the BSP leaders were known for describing both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress as the major "Manuwadi" parties. Depending on the situation, one of these two parties was identified as A team and the other as B team of "Manuwad". But now Dalits are being advised not to support the Congress as its victory would strengthen the hands of a foreigner.

Addressing one of her public meetings in Varanasi, Ms. Mayawati said the only objective of the BJP during the present elections was to give a second term

to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, son of a Brahmin. The Congress on its part had handed over its leadership to a foreign woman. The two parties could, therefore, never ensure development of Dalits or the country, she said.

Extending support to the Samajwadi Party and the BJP would mean victory for the son of a Brahmin as the SP would join hands with the BJP after the elections. And supporting the Congress would mean supporting a foreign hand, Ms. Mayawati said without naming Sonia Gandhi. In contrast, they would strengthen the hands of a "Dalit-ki-beti" (daughter of a Dalit) by casting votes in favour of the BSP, Ms. Mayawati told the audience.

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