Sheila Dikshit may be Congress' face in UP polls

Speculations were on Thursday rife about the Congress planning to make three-time Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit the party's chief ministerial nominee for next year's assembly election in politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, once its stronghold.

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 Bharatiya Janata Party in the aftermath of the emergence of Mandir-Mandal politics. A large chunk of Brahmin votes had also gone to Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party 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 Aam Aadami Party could be Congress' chief ministerial candidate. Sheila Dikshit is the daughter-in-law of prominent Congress leader from UP Uma Shankar Dikshit, who served as Union minister and governor for a long time.

The Congress is trying to regain the lost ground in UP where currently it has just 30 MLAs in the 403-member assembly. The Congress could win only two seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls represented by Rahul and Sonia Gandhi respectively.

The Brahmin community plays a significant role in election outcome in central and eastern UP as it is the dominant caste in these areas.