Travails of Sonia-Rahul’s Constituency

When Sonia and Rahul Gandhi visit their respective constituencies, they usually do so with lot of fanfare and media-hype. Several welfare schemes are launched and the duo organizes public durbars to listen to the woes of the public. However, once the dust settles down after their departure, there is not much to talk about until they plan a visit yet again.
This time though Hi Time Express followed Sonia’s trail and while she might be basking under the media hype of her visit back home in Delhi, we talked to people in her constituency to know what people think of Sonia and her illustrious family.
There is no doubt that Sonia is extremely popular in her constituency. The same can be said of Rahul and Priyanka though the later has the unique capacity charisma and capacity to draw the crowds. Several people that Hi Time Express talked to spoke in high regard for the Gandhi family. Sample these words of one Masshan Miyan from Nasirabad, who proudly boasts of several decades of selfless loyalty to this family, “This family is unique for its love for the people and the country. The amount of sacrifices they have given is an enough indicator of their patriotism and love for the country. Nobody else has given that much. Their undaunted desire for the upliftment of the people of India too cannot be questioned. Sonia may not be an Indian by birth, but she has proved that she is more dedicated to this country and its people than a lot many other Indians. Rahul too works very hard to understand the problems of the people. And Priyanka has the charisma of her grandmother. But despite all this, popularity does not transfer into votes for the Congress, which is evident from the fact that in assembly elections, not many Congress candidates win from the area,” adds Masshan Miyan.
Masshan Miyan is not the only person who says so. Others, in fact, are more vocal and though they do not wish to speak on record, the crux of their viewpoint is that the various developmental schemes launched by Sonia do not reach the common man. Says a young party worker: “When Sonia comes in the area, we go to her with petitions. Naturally, she cannot keep count of the progress of each case. She forwards the petitions to her staff. Thereafter, she never gets to know what happens as her staff is never serious about doing the work. Neither can we tell her that this particular person demands so much commission on schemes and welfare programs sent from Delhi.”
A companion of this young Congress worker said: “Those deputed to take care of the constituency should be thankful to Sonia for giving them such an enormous task. Instead, they go about behaving like spoilt bureaucrats.”
Others too agreed that this was the reason why votes were not transferring for the party, in an area that sends Sonia to Parliament by a record margin. It is because of immense respect for the family and her clean image or else confidantes had done and are doing all they could to ruin her image, laments an old man.
A gram pradhan from neighbouring Sultanpur district who regularly interacts with people from Sonia-Rahul’s constituencies, added that the two leaders need to do something fast. “I do not know whether they know of all the mess their own people have created behind them,” said he. All the welfare schemes, including those for Minorities and Dalits are being governed by these people who are not serious at all towards their implementation,” said he, accusing one of Sonia’s chief worker of Brahmanwad.
“When Sonia ji is here she asks her whether all is well. But with these people around, it is not possible for us to tell her what they are up to,” adds this man.
Masshan Miyan however is too devoted and loyal to ‘Madam’ to notice these points related to mismanagement. He is all praise for Manoj Muthoo, who handles Rahul’s affair, calling him a good person ‘who talks to the workers’. Though he agrees that he couldn’t interact much with Kishori Lal Sharma, the man who overseas Sonia’s work, he, like a loyal worker, speaks no ill word. But there may not be too many people like Masshan Miyan in the constituency. If they are, their count is fast diminishing! When these disgruntled elements speak, they speak from the heart; and the word spreads. If only it could reach the corridors of power!