Everything is hunky-dory in UP, or will be with regime change, going by politicians’ statements
As expected, the political cauldron in Uttar Pradesh is simmering ahead of the Assembly election there early next year. With each passing day, new leaders are mushrooming and squeaking their intent to serve the State’s electorate in general and the voters of their caste- and community-specific constituency, in particular. RJD president Jayant Chaudhary is a case in point, whose joining hands with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was recently compared to Ram-Lakshman unity (after Yadav’s ‘Do ladke’ fiasco with Rahul Gandhi). Yadav also recently mended fences and reunited with uncle Shivpal to reel in more votes. The old warhorses are out of their stables, hoping for a good run at the poll derby, and their slogans iterate the ‘golden era’ the State experienced under their respective stewardships. BSP supremo Mayawati is making suitable noises against other parties. The Congress, hitherto far from being a serious contender in this jamboree of smoke-and-mirrors practitioners, is also desperately trying to land a piece of the pie. Even though Sonia Gandhi has been maintaining a dignified silence and respectable distance from the political heat and dust of UP, and Rahul has restricted himself mainly to national affairs, his sibling Priyanka occasionally comes out with guerrilla-style attacks on the ruling establishment. Then there are fringe players like the AAP and AIMIM.
Outshining the sharp-tongued Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, PM Modi has these days taken it upon himself to denounce all recent political statements made by the SP president since he very well understands that he has to strategically manoeuvre the badlands and dusty, undeveloped roads of Uttar Pradesh if he wants to make it yet again to 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. Meanwhile, the good ol’ robust and menacing BJP poll machinery is oiling its nuts and bolts to roll out the juggernaut to vanquish the Opposition: Now the polarisation bid has moved farther from Ayodhya, to Kashi. Yogi is firmly in the saddle, with Modi right beside him. Let the politicians say what they want, and all they want, but the onus of electing a people-friendly Government rests with the voters. Let them not forget the goonda raj that once prevailed in the State, nor how a particular caste was favoured under a CM or how another CM blatantly plays the religion card to divide the electorate or how ill-prepared he was to deal with the second wave of COVID-19 when it unleashed initially.