Symbolism, through symbols of major players, was on display before campaigning for the seventh and last round of UP assembly polls ended on Saturday evening.
In an election that many predict could go down to the wire, the 54 seats where polling will be held on Monday, would offer one last chance to the major political parties and their allies to take an edge over their rivals.
“Our symbols tell their own story. We are telling the voters to vote for a plate full of food and to vote for cup and plate, so that one can relax with tea,” says Rajesh Patel, of Apna Dal (Sonelal), whose party is an ally of the BJP.
Patel was referring to his party’s symbol ‘cup plate’ as well as that of the other BJP ally, Nishad Party, whose symbol is ‘bhojan se bhari hui thali’ (plate full of food).
If allies were busy marketing their symbols to connect with the masses, BJP leaders have been telling voters about significance of lotus, their party symbol.
“Dhan ki Devi Laxmi ji cycle par baithkar nahin aati, wo toh kamal ke phool par baithkar hi aati hain,” deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has been telling voters during campaigning. These symbols are clashing for space with those of Samajwadi Party and its allies.
“We have been telling people that cycle symbolises connect with the poor. Our ‘chadi’ is proof of handy security. People can, under the rule of SP and its allies, be assured of job letters that would come in a ‘lifafa’,” says Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) leader Om Prakash Rajbhar.
{{/usCountry}}“We have been telling people that cycle symbolises connect with the poor. Our ‘chadi’ is proof of handy security. People can, under the rule of SP and its allies, be assured of job letters that would come in a ‘lifafa’,” says Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) leader Om Prakash Rajbhar.
{{/usCountry}}Cycle is SP symbol, ‘chadi’ or stick is SBSP’s symbol while ‘lifafa’ or envelope is symbol of Apna Dal (Kamerawadi).
Rajbhar is contesting from Zahoorabad assembly segment of Ghazipur, which he won in 2017 in alliance with BJP.
The allies have set up interesting contests elsewhere, too.
Take Shahganj constituency in Jaunpur, for example. In 2017, this was among the eight seats that BJP had allotted to its then ally, SBSP and was part of the four seats that SBSP had lost even in the BJP wave.
This time BJP has allotted Shahganj to its new pre-poll ally -- Nishad Party -- whose candidate had polled over 20,000 votes last time. Having bet on a new ally, BJP is hopeful of breaching the SP bastion, but different equations are in play in Mariyahu, another seat in Jaunpur, currently held by BJP ally Apna Dal (Sonelal).
Here, by putting up a candidate from the kurmi (OBC) community, the same as one put up by BJP ally Apna Dal (Sonelal), the Samajwadi Party has set up an interesting contest.
In Jaunpur (Sadar) constituency Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi held a road show on Saturday. In 2012, Nadeem Javed had won the seat on Congress ticket. In 2017, Javed lost to BJP despite a pre-poll tie up between Congress and SP. This time, after initially fielding its district chief Hasan Tabrez, Congress replaced him with Javed.
“It was an impressive roadshow,” Congress leaders said though BJP is dismissing Javed as a ‘vote katua (vote cutter)’.
BJP leader Manish Shukla said a video, purportedly featuring Abbas Ansari, the SBSP candidate from Mau (Sadar), has come in handy for them. “Throughout our campaign we had been stating that SP+ represents ‘goondaraj (mafia culture)’ and this video is yet another proof. Imagine a candidate openly threatening police and bureaucrats. The video reinforces the importance of choosing the right party,” Shukla said.
Abbas is son of mafioso-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who is currently in jail.
Assembly seats in Azamgarh, the Lok Sabha constituency of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, where even in 2017 the BJP could only win one of the 10 assembly segments, will also go to polls in this round.
So will Vindhyachal and Varanasi regions, where BJP is showcasing recent developments.
“The ropeway at Vindhyachal dhaam and other facilities are a talking point in the region. In Kashi, PM Modi has ensured a grand Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. We have restored the glory of symbols of our faith and pride,” Shukla added.
Athar Siddiqui of the Centre for Objective Research and Development said: “You can call this a round where the party in the lead will be looking to consolidate its position while those lagging behind would be using it to catch up. Since none can be certain of the outcome, each party would like to have this round go their way. That is why top leaders of all parties have been alerting their cadres about the need to ensure maximum voting.”
BSP general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra has been countering allegations of his party not being as active in these elections as before with a clever coinage. “Aayenge nateeje akhbar dekh lena, iss baar haathi ki chinghaad dekh lena (read the results in newspapers and see the trumpet of the elephant this time),” he says. Elephant is BSP poll symbol.