Congress Doesn't Trust Dalits; Channi's Appointment A Gimmick: Mayawati

Following the resignation of Captain Amarinder Singh in Punjab, Charanjit Singh Channi was made the new chief minister of the state. Channi is the first Chief Minister of Punjab to come from the Dalit community. While some are hailing this development as a pro-Dalit move, other parties have termed the Congress high-command’s decision a “political gimmick”.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, on Monday, said “Congress still does not have faith in Dalits. Dalits need to be very alert to their double standards. I have full faith that Dalits will not fall for this stunt.”

Mayawati congratulated Channi, but slammed Congress

Mayawati congratulated Channi on becoming the CM. “I congratulate Charanjit Singh Channi on becoming the Chief Minister of Punjab. It would have been better if he had been made CM earlier. Channi's appointment as CM just before Punjab elections seems like an “election gimmick” of Congress.

'The reality is that Congress as well as other political parties think of Dalits only in times of crisis', alleged the BSP chief.

Row erupts over Rawat's statement

Mayawati, without naming anyone, lashed out at the Congress over Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat's reported statement, in which he claimed that the next assembly elections in the state would be contested under the leadership of Navjot Singh Sidhu.

“I have come to know through the media that the Congress will fight the next assembly elections in Punjab under the leadership of a non-Dalit. This means that the Congress still does not have full faith in Dalits”, said Mayawati.

Rawat, citing Navjot Singh Sidhu’s popularity, said that Sidhu will be the face of the Congress in the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

His statement, however, did not bode well within the Congress party itself as veteran Punjab Congress leader Sunil Jakhar tweeted that “On the swearing in day of Shri Charanjit Channi as Chief Minister, Mr Rawat’s statement that elections will be fought under Sidhu is “baffling”. It is likely to undermine the CM's authority, but also negate the very ‘raison d'être’ for his selection for this position”.

Wading into the controversy, BJP IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya tweeted “This is a huge insult to the entire Dalit community if Charanjit Singh Channi has been made the CM, only to hold the seat for Navjot Singh Sidhu, the chosen Gandhi family loyalist. This completely undermines the Dalit empowerment narrative being peddled by the Congress. Shame”.

The electoral maths behind Mayawati’s statement

Curiosly, BSP supremo Mayawati, rather than saying that Dalits do not trust the Congress—which would be the standard political byte—said that it was the Congress which does not trust the Dalits. “Congress is also scared of the SAD-BSP alliance in Punjab”, said Mayawati.

BSP’s alliance partner SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal had already announced that a Dalit would be made the deputy chief minister if his party is elected.

With only few months to go for the Punjab assembly elections, Channi’s appointment as the new CM could be seen as Congress’s move to earn the trust of the Dalit voters. However, given the short-term that Channi has got, people are skeptical about the Congress high-command’s confidence in Dalit leaders to entrust them with top positions in the government.

It was with the SAD-BSP alliance that the large Dalit population of Punjab once again came into the spotlight.

Dalit voters are crucial for all mainstream parties in Punjab. Of the state’s approximately 3 crore population, nearly one-third – 32 per cent – are Dalits. The numerical strength of Dalits has not yet translated into considerable electoral representation. Until Charanjit Channi, out of the 15 CMs who have governed the state since independence, none was a Dalit.