'There's more dirt to UP election than identity politics'

As India's largest state, Uttar Pradesh (UP) gets ready for a seven phase election starting from February 8th, stretching all the way up to March 3rd. At the Congress party headquarters, Digvijaya Singh is monitoring the 403 assembly constituencies. The General Secretary of Congress Party is known as a man who does not pull his punches, often quotes controversy, and has been known to contradict the Congress-led UPA government on many occasions. Is he a maverick or is he part of a larger design?

Anuradha SenGupta of CNBC-TV18 chats up Digvijaya Singh, general secretary, Congress on the latest episode of Beautiful People.

Below is the edited transcript of the interview. Also watch the accompanying video

Q: You have been parked in Lucknow for over two weeks now. This is the state that you are responsible for in these elections. Tell us, what the issues on the ground are because from Mumbai and Delhi, we are looking at only the identity-politics that seem to be in play?

A: Last 22 years, this state has had three governments headed by BJP, three by Mulayam Singh of Samajwadi Party and four times, its been Mayawati of BSP. But there has been a declining trend since 1989. Governance and development always take a back seat and what we have seen is virtual loot of the state of UP. No holds barred, criminalization is to the extreme, the whole politics is centered around how much money you can make and how much you can oblige your own kinsmen or your relations. Poor are getting poorer. The middlemen and people with muscle power are getting contracts, the money is not being spent on the developmental works but pocketed. Issue of national rural health mission... (interrupted)

Q: I think five people have committed suicide or murdered...

A: Have been eliminated I would say. And out of Rs 8670 crore of provision in the last six years by the central government, Rs 5000 crore have been siphoned off! Can you imagine the kind of corruption that is here? At the same time, Mayawatiji refuses to refer this case for CBI. Now the High Court has given the orders for CBI enquiry and all these things are coming to light. CAG has given a report that Rs 5000 crore has been siphoned off. Now with this kind of corruption, the main issue today is a change, a change for better.

Q: When we sit in Mumbai I feel dismayed because everything that I am getting to hear as headlines out of the UP elections is sub-quota within quota for minorities, the tacit endorsement to the demand that Salman Rushdie not come to India. Will I stop being dismayed if I just say that look, this is not what Indian politics is about, and it is identity politics that are relevant and that need to be understood and need to be catered to?

A: The media gives you what the viewers like to see. For example, the quota within the quota is not something new. In 1990, Mandal commission report was implemented where certain castes of OBCs among the Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs were included. Now Sachar committee was setup to see the socio-educational and economic status of Muslims in this country. We were very surprised to find that in some areas, the status of Muslims in this country is even worse than dalits! So therefore a special attention had to be taken, some affirmative action had to be taken for their benefit.

Q: My question is because of the timing it all seems very suspect. The 4.5% sub quota in this 27% OBC quota in jobs was announced in December. The election commission has said that it cannot be implemented. Then Khurshid in UP said that it would be 9% if the Congress came to power. The underpinning seemed weak because of the timing isn't it?

A: Well, timing may be a coincidence, but the fact remains that we had promised this in the 2009 election manifesto. We have given this in the states of Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh when Congress was in government. So therefore it's nothing new for the Congress party or it's not related to only UP. It is at the national level. So therefore it is not correct to say that. Honorable election commission has every right to stay the operation, but not the decision. Operation will start after the voting is over and the election results are out.

Watch the video for the rest of the show