The anti-corruption agenda held out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2014 lok Sabha polls would continue as a poll-plank in the form of "demonetisation" in Uttar Pradesh which is set for a suspense thriller finish with the stage set for a stiff triangular contest between the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) and challengers Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
With the elections to the 403 Assembly seats announced (from February 11 to March 8), political parties have geared up to announce full list of candidates with the BSP already releasing a major chunk of them. The SP infighting has seen more than two-three lists being released. The BJP is expected to announce its list soon this month to provide enough room to their candidates to maneuver their way through their respective Assembly segments and streamline caste and religious combinations.
A major section in the BJP believes that Modi "remains the best bet" for the party who could tilt the electoral balance in its favour with a heavy emphasis on "susashan" (good governance) and "vikas" (development).
Demonetisation, seen as a 'major drive’ by Modi against black money in the country, has become a polarising issue not only in UP but also in other four States — Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur- with BJP hoping that it would give them dividends, with the difficulties relating to shortage of currency notes waning across the States. "It will be positive once its implementation is completed successfully close to the run up to the polls," said a senior leader as others in the party refused to do a guessing game and kept their fingers crossed.
A view has emerged that Modi as the main navigator has brought the Assembly poll campaign in UP — where he helped fetch 71 lok Sabha seats for the BJP in 2014-to the level of national elections by vigorously inducting issues like 'good-governance', 'development' and 'drive against the corrupt (i.e. demonetisation). "Surgical strikes across the borders has also touched chords among UP electorates", the party felt.
The BJP seems to be steadily improving its standing in the State in last one year as the party already clocked 17,000 Km track, touching each constituency, during 'Parivartan Yatra', last year. Prime Minister himself addressed six rallies during the campaign.
On BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate with popular traction vis-a-vis Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Mayawati (BSP) and Sheila Dikshit (Congress), party's national secretary Shrikant Sharma replied, "Sushaasan" and Vikas". The BJP trusts that "the good work" by the Modi-Government at the centre would steer BJP to a clear success in the key State of UP. Besides, people have overwhelmingly approved the recent anti-black money drive of the Prime Minister, he added.
BJP is set to move demonetisation to the centrestage in the last leg of the polls asking opposition to clearly figure out their stand "against black money".