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Stamp of Hindutva
Despite all the talk of development and double-engine government, Hindutva was an important factor for BJP supporters in a “direct, highly polarised fight” between Yogi Adityanath and Akhilesh Yadav.
Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 7
With the last vote cast, the seven-phase elections to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly came to an end today. As exit polls take over the discourse, candidates and voters alike wait anxiously for the results to be out on Thursday.
The high-stakes elections, which started amid the Omicron wave, witnessing several ups and downs, saw the Akhilesh Yadav-led coalition putting up a spirited fight against the collective might of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Home Minister Amit Shah and other top guns of the BJP.
However, some trends remained constant such as the word “lekin” (but), which dominated the discourse. For example, there was an oft-repeated statement — “Akhilesh Yadav is doing well, ‘lekin’ (but)…”
Despite all the talk of development and double-engine government, Hindutva was an important factor for BJP supporters in a “direct, highly polarised fight” between Adityanath and Akhilesh. Several BJP legislators faced perceptible anger, including in the PM’s constituency Varanasi.
CM Adityanth battled a strong anti-incumbency fuelled by anger against “dummy/ineffective” MLAs, unemployment, inflation and stray cattle menace.
The exit of OBC leaders such as Swami Prasad Maurya and Dara Singh Chauhan in the run-up to the elections did not help the BJP. As a result, in the party changing its plan to replace several MLAs and making it more vulnerable to the anti-incumbency factor.
Keeping the power centralised did not help Adityanath. However, led by PM Modi, the BJP tackled Akhilesh and his party-led coalition with allegations of “being pro-mafia and pro-terrorists” though its biggest strength was free ration — “roti, kapda makan” — provided by the Centre, especially during and post-Covid.
“They helped a lot,” said voters, even those who suffered during the Covid lockdown or were upset due to lack of jobs.