Uttar Pradesh assembly elections 2012?

Obssessed with Muslim appeasement, parties lose sight of real issues of people?

Widespread network of Karyakartas is the real strength of bjp?

By V Shanmuganathan?

Bharatiya Janata Party which ruled Uttar Pradesh state for six and half years in two phases is trying hard to improve its tally by facing all the practical problem of power politics. The party”s state president Surya Pratap Shahi has been fielded from the newly created Pathardeva constituency in Deoria district. Uma Bharati is contesting from Charkhari constituency in Mahoba district of Bundelkhand, Kalraj Mishra is going from house to house to win – East Lucknow constituency.

In the current 2012 assembly elections, BJP is contesting in 403 constituencies (along with an alliance party – 4), BSP in 403, SP in 400 and Congress in 365.

Election campaign

BJP has a strong network of grass root cadres. Enthusiastic karyakartas have always been BJP”s strong point. Even though Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee name figures at the top of the party”s list of campaigners, his health condition does not permit him to travel a long distance. But every poster, banner and campaign material carries his picture.

LK Advani, Nitin Gadkari, Smt Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Rajnath Singh, Ramlalji and chief ministers of BJP ruled states are extensively covering the state. Leaders are galvanising the masses by touring to each and every constituency, meeting them, motivating their mind and addressing their problem. The public response is encouraging. BJP is the only party which has given corruption free rule in UP in the past.

The BJP”s state office in Lucknow is very active with many leaders, workers and general public. Narendra Singh Tomar, UP state prabhari and all India general secretary is available in Lucknow karyalaya with state leaders. The presence of Sanjay Joshi, Arvinda Menon and Rakeshji are also encouraging the people in general. BJP has roped in the services of artists to conduct street plays across Uttar Pradesh about the dangers of crime and corruption in politics.

Major issues

UP is primarily an agrarian state with 79 per cent rural population and 21 per cent urban population. Greater attention is required to villages, farmers, water, electricity, seeds, fertilizers, cultivation, procurement, processing and marketing of agricultural produce, UP suffers from unimpressive rate of economic growth. There is a huge amount of sufferings due to low income and acute poverty. The state has inadequate power supply, bad road connectivity and a sluggish transport system. With an inefficient transmission and distribution system, it is important that the new government must be able to give regular power supply even to remote villages. Physical health of people needs urgent care. Disease, hunger, malnutrition of children, women are to be immediately attended.

Politics of caste and religion

In 2007 assembly, BSP had 219 MLAs and then SP 88, BJP 48 and Congress 20. Political parties are trying hard to hold their vote- banks particularly the BSP to the dalit vote, the Samajwadi Party to the Yadav vote, the Rashtriya Lok Dal to the Jat vote and the Congress is working to get Muslim support. Muslims in general are inclined to Mulayam Singh than Congress. In eastern UP the Congress is certainly not making a dent in the villages. Even in western and central UP its presence is only in few pockets. Price rise and corruption weigh heavily against the Congress.

Ms Mayawati’s method of building her own statues and getting herself on her birthday weighed in lakhs of currency notes are really very bad. Nepotism, opportunism, flattery, non-adherence to truth and a tendency to twist doctrines to suit their personal motives are the ill-effects of individual centric leadership.

Policy of appeasement

The minority vote bank continuous to be the decisive factor in determining the victory margin of all the political parties. Importantly speaking the total population of the minorities is around 15 per cent to 17 per cent.The political analysts say that almost 100 assembly seats out of the total 403 which have a dominant Muslim population. The Samajwadi Party has given tickets to 84 Muslims, BSP to 85 and Congress to 54. BJP is the only party which has not viewed the voters as a person belonging to minority or majority. BJP is of the firm opinion that all are our own Indian citizens.

BJP is contesting the election with an all India outlook. Justice for all and appeasement of none must be the basic outlook of every ruling party both at the state level as well as central government.

Congress proposal of reservation for Muslims within the OBC quota, is clearly an attempt to divide the people on the basis of religion. Not only that, in its race for the Muslim vote in UP the Congress, is attacking Samajwadi Party. “Mulayam Singh has promised a separate 18 per cent reservation for Muslims, which is not part of the OBC quota. He says he will get the Constitution amended for this. But the fact is that he does not have 2/3rd majority for this. By doing all these gimmicks, Congress cannot revive itself in UP.

BSP is focusing more on dalit”s pride and EC”s order for covering statues of Mayawati and the elephants. Unaccounted money continues to flow in Uttar Pradesh during this pre-poll season as 28.53 crore have been seized by the surveillance teams  and flying squads from different parts of the state. Election Commission said, that any political person is suspected that the cash may be used for bribing the voters, then the whole amount is seized.

BJP aspiring to be the single largest party

I spoke to some of the important leaders and workers in Lucknow. They opened their mind and expressed their personal assessment. Kalraj Mishra MP said to me personally that in spite of some people trying to confuse, I am telling that gradually BJP is moving forward and I am hoping that ultimately BJP will emerge as the single largest party. Shri Lalji Tandon MP, from Lucknow told me that reservation on the basis of religion will boomerang and Congress will be the worst sufferer. Corruption, price rise will tarnish the image of ruling party. People’s support to hard work of BJP will have a positive effect. All India secretary of BJP, Santosh Gangwar, former Central Minister is of the opinion that social engineering is done very well this time. BJP has taken care and concern about the lowest strata of the society. They will respond favourably to BJP.

Stage is set for exercising people”s verdict in a free and fair manner. Corruption of Mayawati and goondaraj of Samajwati Party are really disturbing the consciousness of voters. BJP”s campaign is beginning to break new ground as the Congress promise of 9 per cent quota for Muslims is snowballing and has angered the OBC”s in a serious way. Lack of governance, price rise, corruption, reservation on religious lines are going to boomerang on the Congress.?