Allahabad, April 25
For years, the city of Allahabad was synonymous with the Nehru-Gandhi family and the Congress. Even today, Anand Bhavan and the adjoining Swaraj Bhavan, the ancestral homes of the Nehrus stand testimony to the family's and the party's long association with this city. This bond has, however, slackened with the passage of time and the Congress has slowly been edged out in the face of the forces unleashed by the “mandal and kamandal” brand of politics.

The month-long seven-phased Assembly poll in the politically-crucial state of Uttar Pradesh is currently underway and though Congress still remains a marginal player, at least two candidates are making a valiant attempt to revive the grand old party's fortunes in Allahabad, which was once its bastion.

Rita Bahuguna Joshi, daughter of the legendary H.N. Bahuguna, and Anugraha Narian Singh, student leader of yesteryears, are making unstinted efforts to make a place for their party. The fact that they are seen as serious contenders is in itself a huge step forward for the Congress which has been vanquished from this city for nearly two decades.

Contesting from the Allahabad South constituency, Rita Joshi is pitted against BJP's state unit president Kesari Nath Tripathi, who has held this seat five times. While Rita is banking on her personal standing (she has been a Mayor), her father's reputation and the support of Brahmins and minorities to see her through, BSP's Nandi Gupta could well end up playing the spoilsport for her.

Narain, who is also depending on his personal reputation, is battling it out in the neighbouring Allahabad North constituency where defected Congress leader Ashok Vajpayee's son Harshvardhan is contesting on a BSP ticket.

Sitting in her sprawling bungalow, Rita Joshi admits that she is faced with a tough fight. "My biggest handicap is the party organisation… it is woefully inadequate," she says ruefully since the Congress has been virtually non-existent in Allahabad for years now. She is hoping that Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi's roadshow later this week will help her breast the winning tape.

It is well-acknowledged here by the man on the street that the "haathi" or BSP is marching ahead silently. Besides being assured of the Jatav vote, Gupta is seeking to dent the BJP's stronghold over the bania vote since he also belongs to the same community. At the same time, he also holds strong appeal for the minorities given his strong credentials to defeat the BJP. Rashid Masood, who runs a tailoring shop in the Muslim-dominated area of Dariabad, agrees that "it is a takkar between Joshi and Gupta" but adds that the BSP candidate has an edge as he is perceived to be more accessible.

"This is a very close contest ... virtually like a one-day cricket match. The results will not be known till the last ball is bowled.," remarks Umakant Pande, a shopkeeper in the city's Chowk area. That the BJP state chief is in trouble is admitted to by his party workers who say this is easily his toughest election so far.