Various party leaders and people on the streets in Uttar Pradesh alike have begun considering the BJP as a political force in the State. Driven by Narendra Modi's popularity, the party is poised to register impressive gains in the coming lok Sabha election
The Bharatiya Janata Party ended its first leg of election campaign on March 2 with its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s rally in lucknow at Rama Bai Maidan — the rally ground which till now was the sole preserve of the Bahujan Samaj Party because no one dared to hold a rally there on account of its vast magnitude. The BJP organised the rally successfully and was able to fill the maidan to its brink, sending a message loud and clear about the emerging power of the party in this important political State.
This was the eighth in the series of Mr Modi’s rallies in Uttar Pradesh, and all of them were complete sell-outs. People swarmed the maidans in large numbers. They came to listen to Mr Modi, and the euphoria created by these rallies have given hope to the BJP of its revival. The party leaders and the people on the streets alike have started thinking about the BJP as a political force in Uttar Pradesh. The indication came when all other political adversaries of the BJP started attacking Mr Modi in their speeches, making it clear that the party has made a mark in Uttar Pradesh.
The party’s revival post-Ram Mandir days is commendable. No one has seen such a huge crowd in these BJP rallies since the days of Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Mr Vajpayee was a craze at that time. People used to come to listen to him. They loved his oratory. They loved the way Mr Vajpayee used to mix national issues with local subjects. Ditto is the case with Mr Modi. People are liking his style of speech delivery and are impressed with his track record as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Probably this is the reason why Mr Modi has become a talking point for all and sundry — be it the political leader or the aam aadmi.
The other day, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav pleaded with Samajwadi Party workers to give enough seats to his party so that he could become Prime Minister. “Kuch to karo” was his request. Probably he could see the writing on the walls very clearly. The landslide victory of the SP in the last Assembly election is passé now. At that time the SP had decimated the Opposition, creating a vacuum in Uttar Pradesh’s politics. Riding the Modi wave, the BJP has filled that vacuum. With everyone talking about the BJP and its prime ministerial candidate, the SP leadership knows that unless corrective steps are taken immediately, it could be the end of road for Mr Yadav’s dream.
The SP knows that time is running out for them. Its chief has asked party workers and leaders to shun goondagardi because it gives a bad name to the State Government as well as the party. In a rally in Allahabad last week, he asked party leaders to stop their nonsense. He said this in reference to illegal mining being carried out there. During the Saifai Mahotsav earlier, the party’s national general secretary, Mr Ram Gopal Yadav, said in a public meeting that if the Government did not improve its working and law and order situation, it would be difficult for the SP to win the lok Sabha election.
Senior leader Shivpal Singh Yadav blamed ‘intruders’ who joined the SP after it came to power as the main culprits and advised Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who is also state president of the party, to throw them out of the party. His argument was that these intruders were bringing a bad name to the party. He was obviously pointing towards young party activists who were blamed for flaunting the ruling party tag that they carry on their sleeves. During the State Assembly election, the campaign was organised and monitored by the young brigade of the party under the leadership of Mr Akhilesh Yadav. They marched with him step by step, they actively took part in cycle yatra when he went the length and breadth of the State, and even braved police lathis in lucknow. When the time has come to reap the political harvest they are being advised restrain.
The confusion Mr Akhilesh Yadav finds himself in is not difficult to fathom. He tried his best to adjust these youth leaders in the party organisation. Some of them were even given lal battis after they were elevated to the posts of Chairpersons of State-run organisation — thus giving them the status of Minister of State, a position they craved for. But the Supreme Court spoiled the Chief Minister’s dream. The lal battis were withdrawn and these Chairpersons were reduced to commoners.
The big question is: Why has the BJP all of a sudden become so popularIJ Is it only because of the lawlessness or lack of development that has attracted people towards Mr Modi or could there be some extraneous reasonsIJ One line of thinking is that Akhilesh Yadav Government’s pro-Muslim policies have alienated the Hindus from the Samajwadi Party.
The best example of that is the Muzaffarnagar riots. The State Government made an attempt to withdraw criminal cases against Muslim leaders who were charged with giving inflammatory speeches that led to the riots in Muzaffarnagar. Incidentally, these leaders were from different political parties, but as they were Muslims, the SP did not hesitate to withdraw cases from leaders like Kadir Rana, MlAs Noor Saleem and Maulana Jameel Ahmad (all BSP), former Congress Minister Saeed-uz-Zaman and his son Salman Saeed, community leaders Asad Zama, Naushad Qureshi, trader Ahsan and advocate Sultan Mashir. Incidentally, the BJP leaders who were charged with similar offences were put behind bars and the National Security Act was slapped against two BJP leaders, Mr Sangeet Som and Mr Suresh Rana. Both of them later got reprieve from the High Court.
Then the State Government announced the setting up of an education hub in Muslim-dominated regions. No one would have questioned the Government’s move had Mr Akhilesh Yadav decided to open such hubs for all sections of the society. Uttar Pradesh needs education hubs as its literacy rate stands at 57 per cent, as against the national average of 72 per cent. Instead, the State Government plans to open education hubs in 20 districts where the population of minority community would be at least 25 per cent.
The Government would give aid to set up institutions having classes from Class I to XII. The Government would also give financial assistance to set up libraries and construct new classrooms to those institutions already in operation in minority-dominated areas.
Probably, realpolitik forced the SP to take pro-Muslim decisions. But it seems these measures have backfired. It has given the BJP a toe-hold and from there, riding a Modi wave, the party has become a force to reckon with in this crucial lok Sabha election.