SANJIV SINHA

DEOBAND, SEPTEMBER 18: FOR what was being billed as the commencement of the revival of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh by returning to the grassroots in the state, the fortnight-long road yatra which kicked off from here today was a rather tame and lacklustre affair.

And, but for some hard-hitting speeches by Chattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and former Union Minister Balram Jakhar — which saved the day somewhat — the start of the ‘‘Parivartan yatra’’ would have been a near flop as it was difficult to find Congressmen and their supporters in this small township famous for the Darul-Ulum situated on the outskirts.

In fact, barring Jogi and Jakhar and party MP Santosh Chowdhary, no senior leader from the AICC turned up at the meeting here despite Deoband being a mere three-hour drive from the national Capital. Not very encouraging for the party given the fact that each of the six yatras planned from different points in the state — the other five began today from Gautambudhnagar, Ballia, Lalitpur Varanasi, Deoria, Lalitpur — were to have a star-studded composition.

Among the battery of leaders which the party had announced it would line up to participate in the road yatras were one to two CWC members, one Central Election Committee member, one to two AICC general secretaries and secretaries, chairmen of various departments in the AICC, chiefs of the party’s frontal organisations and at least one chief minister.

Barring Jogi, who flew in all the way from Raipur, and Jakhar, who is the chairman of the AICC’s Kisan cell, all other senior leaders deputed to be present here chose to keep away.

The result was a distinct lack of enthusiasm among the assembled supporters who simply melted away once Jakhar and Jogi finished their speeches. Not many were prepared to listen to the local-level leaders who, in any case, have long been confined to relative obscurity.

While Jakhar focussed his attack on the NDA Government’s anti-farmer policies which had broken the back of the kisans, Jogi lashed out at the BJP, SP and BSP for dividing the country on the basis of religion and caste.

‘‘The corrupt government in UP had to be thrown out if the people wanted the state to be counted alongside the top states in the country, Jogi said, imploring the assembled people not to fall prey to the promises being doled out by state Chief Minister Rajnath Singh.