Congress seeks to encash ‘Brahmin disillusionment’ with change of guard in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh

Locknow: The Congress’ choice of Aradhana Mishra as its Uttar Pradesh unit chief, replacing Ajay Rai, appears to be aimed at ‘encashing’ the perceived ‘Brahmin disillusionment’ with the BJP government in the state, where Assembly polls are barely a few months away.

Aradhana Mishra, a three-time MLA from the Rampur Khas Assembly seat and daughter of senior party leader and Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tewari, was appointed the new president of the UP Congress on Friday.

Considered a prominent ‘Brahmin’ leader, particularly in the eastern and central regions of the state, Aradhana Mishra was among the two Congress candidates who managed to emerge victorious in the 2022 Assembly polls in the state. Her father, Pramod Tewari, had represented the seat seven times before being sent to the Rajya Sabha by the party.

Political analysts here say Aradhana Mishra has been chosen for the post primarily to make a dent in the BJP’s ‘Brahmin’ vote bank. Brahmins, though accounting for only 10-12 per cent of the electorate, are in a position to influence the outcome in around 60-70 seats in the eastern, central and Bundelkhand regions.

Congress reshuffles leadership in poll-bound UP, Punjab; appoints Aradhana Mishra, Pargat Singh as state chiefs

Her appointment comes at a time when there appears to be perceptible anger among the Brahmin community against the Yogi Adityanath government in the state. Even BJP’s Brahmin MLAs, who held a meeting here a few months ago, said the community felt ‘marginalised’ under the present dispensation.

The alleged humiliation of prominent Hindu seer Swami Avimukteshwaranand, the Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth, at the Magh Mela in Prayagraj last year and the ‘mistreatment’ of ‘batuks’ (Hindu children receiving Vedic education) by the police only added to the resentment.

The resignation of senior state service officer Alankar Agnihotri, a Brahmin, in protest against the marginalisation of the community in general and the alleged humiliation of the Shankaracharya and his disciples in particular, only reflected this anger.

Apparently wary of the perceived ‘disillusionment’, Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak was forced to perform a ‘batuk puja’ with 101 batuks in a damage-control exercise. The community was also upset by the new UGC regulations, and many Brahmin outfits took to the streets to register their protest.

It remains to be seen if the grand old party is able to ‘encash’ this anger in the polls.