Sheila may be Congress’ face in UP polls

Speculations were rife on Thursday about Congress planning to make three-time Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit the party’s chief ministerial nominee in UP, which goes to polls in 2017. Election strategist Prashant Kishor had recommended that Dikshit should play a major role in the party’s poll campaign in the state as she is a prominent Brahmin face and could help Congress regain support of the electorally 

sizeable and significant community, whose support determines the poll outcome in several seats.

The community, a traditional vote bank of the Congress, shifted allegiance to BJP in the aftermath of the emergence of Mandir-Mandal politics. A large chunk of Brahmin votes had also gone to Mayawati’s BSP in the past when she gave tickets to many candidates belonging to the community. 

Dikshit is scheduled to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi later in the day. There was a buzz that 78-year-old Dikshit, who ruled Delhi from 1999 to 2014 before being thrown out of power by the AAP could be Congress’ Chief Ministerial candidate.  Sheila Dikshit is the daughter-in-law of prominent Congress leader from UP Uma Shankar Dikshit.