E-Paper
Political discourse changing as poll progresses in UP
Political discourse in the fourth and fifth phases may revolve around patronage to criminals and dynastic politics, after ‘garmi’, ‘charbi’, ‘bhai’ and ‘behan’.
As the campaigning progresses to the remaining three phases in the UP assembly elections, political discourse is changing from ‘kisan’ (farmers), ‘garmi nikal denge’ (take out heat) and ‘charbi nikal denge’ (trim fat), to pairs of ‘chacha’ (uncle) and ‘bhatija’ (nephew), ‘bhai’ (brother) and ‘behan’ (sister), Shariat, dream of Ghazwa-e-Hind and other such issues always considered divisive in the state.
At the beginning of the campaign last month, the focus remained on wooing the ‘kisan’ (farmers) and there was politics on ‘ganna’ (sugarcane) along with Jinnah (Mohammad Ali Jinnah) when Samajwadi Party chief made a reference to Pakistan’s leader.
Political discourse in the first phase centred around targeting the “Do Ladke” of Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance (SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary), in 58 assembly constituencies of 11 districts that went to polls on February 10.
“We have seen this ‘do ladkon’ (two boys) game earlier too. There was so much ahankar (ego) that even Gujarat’s ‘do gadhe’ (two donkeys) was used and people of Uttar Pradesh showed them their place. Once there were two boys along with the Buaji too. It did not work for them,” observed Prime Minister Narendra Modi while speaking to the media during campaigning in the first phase of polling in the state.
As the electioneering progressed, a reference to Muzaffarnagar riots and issues concerning the Muslims was also made. When voting for the second phase inched closer, having a considerable number of Muslim-dominated constituencies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on issues like triple talaq. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath too spoke on how the dream of Ghazwa-e-Hind may not be realized under the PM’s leadership. Yogi joined the debate on hjab, saying India would be run as per the provisions of the Constitutions and not by the Shariat.
A few days before voting for the second phase, the focus began shifting to the third phase, covering the so-called Yadav heartland in districts like Etah, Etawah and Mainpuri etc. with the use of ‘chacha’ (uncle for Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party chief Shivpal Singh Yadav) and bhatija (nephew for SP president Akhilesh Yadav) remarks. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath made a mention of the two leaders as ‘chacha’ and ‘bhatija’ at Deoband, Saharanpur to claim that they themselves were enough to destroy the interests of the SP and the PSP in the 2022 polls.
Yogi spoke about problems of farmers, especially for potato growers in the region in Tundla, Firozabad on Tuesday and again referred to use of bulldozer for those obstructing development, while repeating the ‘chacha’ and ‘bhatija’ line there. He said both of them were upset after viewing the polling trend in the first two phases. However, most senior BJP leaders ignored the Congress, not considering it a serious contender in the UP polls. Yogi targeted Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra saying “bhai” and “behan” were enough to destroy the Congress in the polls.
As the fourth and fifth phases of election would include the assembly constituencies in central UP, (where the SP will contest alone without any strong support of an alliance partner) and Rae Bareli and Amethi, the campaigning may revolve around SP’s patronage to criminals and the dynastic politics that SP and Congress have pursued over the years. These phases may also see stepped up attacks on Congress as Rae Bareli and Amethi were considered to be bastion of the Nehru-Gandhi family.
And when the campaigning shifts to the sixth and seventh phases, the focus will be on eastern UP and the caste combinations worked out by the BJP. The SP-Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party will come into focus and he spotlight may again be on Maharaja Suheldev to woo voters.
“The poll campaigning should be based on issues. The opposition should talk about alternative programmes and raise issues concerning the people. But unfortunately the elections are all about targeting each other. Raising hijab issue is an attempt to give a communal colour to campaigning. All the leaders must maintain a standard and the ruling party’s leaders must present a model for others,” said Professor SK Dwivedi, former head of the department, political science, Lucknow University.
The chief minister has consistently referred to the law and order issue, anti-Romeo squads, farm loan waiver and ban on illegal slaughters and made his point how about 5500 cow shelter homes had been set up. He said the number would be doubled following formation of his government again. The SP chief has consistently mentioned that claims made by the BJP leaders about achievements of the party’s government were nothing but a bundle of lies. The Congress has been able to bring focus on some issues that include 40 percent reservation to women.
