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In UP, Opposition flays BJP for Jan Ashirwad Yatras by ministers
The yatras, covering 3,500 kilometres, touching over 120 assembly constituencies, have been criticised by the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress, who claim that they showcase BJP’s misplaced priorities
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) Jan Ashirwad Yatras, led by its newly appointed Union ministers, have begun generating political heat in Uttar Pradesh where assembly elections are due in about seven months.
The yatras, covering 3,500 kilometres, touching over 120 assembly constituencies, have been criticised by the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress, who claim that they showcase BJP’s misplaced priorities.
The BJP has responded by releasing a “farq dikhta hai (the difference is evident)” poster series on the party’s twitter handle @BJP4UP, that show chief minister Yogi Adityanath as a doer and the Opposition leaders as “power hungry”.
“Since elections are around the corner, these yatras help us get a sense of the mood on the ground. It is mandatory for all lawmakers to accompany the yatra in their areas. So, we are gaining insights into the public mind,” a BJP leader said.
Meanwhile, the BJP has also launched a survey on the NaMo App. The survey “Bataiye aapki rai (tell us your view)” has queries such as which issues would be important in the assembly elections and lists several options. Yet another query seeks the people’s response on what issues would dominate their mind during voting.
“We are seeking the people’s feedback ahead of 2022 UP polls. This feedback would also help us in finalising tickets and prepare our manifesto,” a BJP leader said.
The yatras would touch upon virtually all the major religious centres in UP, cover Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, and help showcase BJP’s bonding with allies as one of the seven yatras is being led by Union minister and Apna Dal (Sonelal) leader Anupriya Patel. At the start of her yatra, Patel flagged the demand for caste census and a separate OBC ministry, one which has found favour with several OBC MPs of BJP such as Lok Sabha member from Badaun, Sanghamitra Maurya, daughter of UP’s labour minister Swami Prasad Maurya.
Of the seven new ministers of state from UP leading these yatras, three each are OBCs and Dalits, the two dominant political communities in the state while one is a Brahmin, the influential community which is being wooed by all political parties in the state.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has questioned the rationale of seeking “jan ashirwad” (blessings from the people) after causing them “hardship”. “Farmers, women, youths, Dalits, and other backward communities have been harassed. There were deaths due to scarcity of oxygen. There is rising unemployment and prices of gas cylinders and essential commodities are on the rise. Yet BJP is in celebration mode,” he said during a party protest recently.
BSP chief Mayawati too was critical of the yatras. She tweeted: “When a large part of the state battled flood and many people needed to be rescued, the BJP decided to take out the yatras instead. It would have been better if instead of engaging in propaganda, the BJP concentrated on helping the flood-hit.”
UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said, “It is not jan ashirwad but a jan apman yatra (public insult procession).” “The BJP should instead take out a kshama yachana yatra (apology procession) to seek an apology from everyone,” he said.
