Congress fails to capitalize schemes

Bhopal, Apr 20: There is a growing feeling in the Congress that is failing to capitalise on UPA's OBC and tribal welfare schemes in election-bound Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Suresh Pachauri has summoned a meeting on April 22 to publicise the achievements of UPA government. Member of Parliament, MLAs former MPs/MLAs and other people’s representatives belonging to Scheduled Tribe would participate in the meeting.

State Congress President Suresh Pachauri, Leader of the Opposition Jamuna Devi, and State Campaigning Committee Chairman Ajay Singh would remain present. The Supreme Court's go-ahead to 27 percent quota in educational institutions and setting up of first of its kind 'tribal university' are two measures that have tremendous appeal to Madhya Pradesh. Moreover, both these initiatives have come from Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh who hails from MP. But congressmen themselves believe that it has gone to town to draw maximum benefits. Pachauri and Jamuna Devi were present at the inauguration of the university in Amarkantak.

The reservation for OBCs came up now, but Union Minister Arjun Singh had done it in 1982, soon after he was made chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. Singh resolved that the only way to stave off a permanent challenge to him was to create a vote bank that he could rely upon in the state.  The same year, he set up the Ramjilal Mahajan Commission, mandated with finding out ways in which the backward classes could be integrated with the mainstream. Surprisingly, in his own state, the party could not get political mileage on implementation of OBC quota in Madhya Pradesh.

Political observers believe that in an election year, success of UPA government in implementing 27 percent quota for OBCs needed to be publicized throughout the state. Similarly, they believe that the tribal university that is proposed in Amarkantak is also first of its kind in the country. Since, it would help tribals to join mainstream, Congress could have gained a lot with the decision of Union HRD Ministry, they added.