Congress upbeat, SP edgy

Azhar on a good wicket in Moradabad, Jaya Prada gives Begum of Rampur a tough fight. These seats will signal if Congress is on a revival course

Rakhi Chakrabarty & Samarth Pathak Moradabad, Rampur Hardnews

If the Congress is expecting a revival in Uttar Pradesh, then Moradabad and Rampur would figure in their calculations.

In most of the 14 constituencies in UP that went to polls on May 13, there is a sizeable chunk of Muslim population, who will play a decisive role in determining the fortunes of the candidates.

Post-poll projections suggest that the Congress could win anything between 12 and 14 seats in UP. In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the party won 9 out of 80 seats in the state. If reports of a Congress resurgence in UP are anything to go by, then some of that could translate into votes.

Traditionally, Muslims, Dalits and Brahmins were the three pillars of the Congress' strength in UP. With the emergence of parties like the SP, BSP and BJP, Muslims largely voted for the SP. The BSP's positioning as a Dalit's party weaned this group away from the Congress. And, Brahmins went with the BJP.

If the Congress manages to win either Moradabad or Rampur or both, then the party has much to cheer about. It would then be evident that the Congress has been able to garner a sizeable number of Muslim votes which all this while went primarily to the SP and also to the BSP. In fact, that would signal a revival of one of Congress' old constituencies in UP - the Muslims.

Moradabad, an industrial town in west UP, seems to be batting for the "Captain". For Congress candidate and former Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin, it looks a win-win situation. It's not just the aura around the cricketer and his actress wife, Sangeeta Bijlani, that's spinning magic here. Interestingly, the fact that he is a rank outsider, is also working for him. P Dhingra, a businessman in Moradabad, was candid, "Even if he does nothing for us, it's a blessing. At least, like MLAs and MPs from the area, he won't meddle in everything we do, extort money and grab our land."

Similar sentiments are echoed by Raees Ahmed, whose brass works unit has closed down three years ago. "After winning, if he doesn't visit us again, we won't mind. At least, he won't bother us or make our lives difficult for us by robbing us. Inshallah, he has enough money. So, he won't be as harmful as the local politicians," he told Hardnews. The crime scene, political gang wars, murders land mafia and the all-pervasive crime-politics nexus is corroding the fabled brass city to its core.

For a city-bred, the squalor and the seamy side of Moradabad is a blow-in-the-face for Azhar. In his campaign speeches, he had talked of development. In fact, he has promised to improve the dismal power situation in Moradabad. That's a long-standing demand of the people here.

Moradabad comprises around 30 per cent Muslims, who have usually voted for the SP. The party's sitting MP, Shafiqur Rehman Barq, seems to be losing grip on his traditional vote bank.

The Muslim mohalllas are rooting strongly for Azharuddin. That has raised hopes in the Congress camp. The party last won Moradabad in 1984. Congress is confident that the huge turnout at Azhar's rallies will translate into votes substantial enough to win the seat. "Is baar cycle (SP's symbol) chal hi nahin payee. Har taraf panje (Congress symbol) ka bolbala (The cycle didn't run this time. The hand has created waves all around)," said Atique Ahmed, a government employee.