Surge made by the BSP and the AAP in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab respectively have made the major parties, including the Samajwadi Party, the BJP, the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal, restive ahead
Surge made by the BSP and the AAP in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab respectively have made the major parties, including the Samajwadi Party, the BJP, the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal, restive ahead of the Assembly polls.
While the ruling Samajwadi Party and the SAD-BJP combine are facing anti-incumbency, the BJP and the Congress are not emerging as an alternative in these states due to different reasons.
The Mayawati-led party and the AAP led by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal are emerging as front-runners in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab respectively as per the early indication.
The Assembly polls in these two states are due in the next 12 to 13 months. Ms Mayawati’s support base among backward castes could attract minorities to defeat the BJP in Uttar Pradesh where the Samajwadi Party is facing anti-incumbency while the Congress is fighting for its survival.
On the other hand, the BJP is in a double mind on whether to play the Hindutva card and thus polarise voters on communal line or follow the Atal Behari Vajpayee line of development.
Besides, there is a big question mark on projecting a “face” against the backdrop of the parfty’s crushing defeat in the Bihar and Delhi Assembly polls.
Minorities have been voting tactically after the BJP’s victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. It had brought arch rivals — Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav — together in the Bihar polls and thus defeated the BJP. But its pressure tactics may not work in Uttar Pradesh because the BSP is confident to check the BJP without the Samajwadi Party and the Congress’ support despite the fact that the Mayawati-led party could not win even a single seat in the current Lok Sabha.
A section of the Congress and the BJP is wanting to keep the BSP in good humour for different reasons. While the Congress leaders are still optimistic of a pre-poll alliance, BJP insiders are wanting to include the BSP into the NDA. This could give a positive message to dalits across the country, they view.
The BJP had earlier backed Ms Mayawati to become the chief minister and she had campaigned for Mr Narendra Modi in the Gujarat Assembly polls held after the communal violence in 2002.
A victory of the AAP in Punjab could pose a threat to the BJP and the Congress as well in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh where the BJP is facing the anti-incumbency factor, the Congress has been facing factional fights and a third alternative has not emerged yet.
