BJP, while reposing faith in Amit Shah for Uttar Pradesh, has indicated that it is gearing up foraggressive Hindutva. The political atmosphere this time is certainly going to be different as compared to the lastone.The manoeuvring of BJP to placeAmit Shah on the political chessboard of UPhas surprised political class and people as well. People may now be anxious to know as to what next and how the politics in this northern state is going to take shape before 2014 polls. Let us hope, people would vote sensibly, maturely and not get trapped in political manipulations and conspiracies.
It is now clear that even if Modi may not be a declared prime ministerial candidate he would be certainly leading the BJP’s campaign upfront and this time he is going to implement his political strategy in Uttar Pradesh through his confidante,Amit Shah. After suffering nosedive defeat in Karnataka, BJP is going to try everything it has in its store to ensure that the defeat in Karnataka can be compensated in the North particularly in Uttar Pradesh. Last time, Modi even refused to campaign in Uttar Pradesh because NitinGadkari had bestowed his faith in Modi’s arch rival Sanjay Joshi in Uttar Pradesh. In politics, things change very fast and what is today may not be the same next day. Today, NitinGadkari and Sanjay Joshi are not in a position to exert their political clout and influence.
There are also indications that Modi may contest from AtalBehariBajpayee’s constituency in Lucknowor from any other place, and for that the line would be drawn for him by Amit Shah. BJP is aware that the party can hardly achieve anything in the South and if Yedyurappa plays spoilsport in the LokSabha polls too then there is possibility that BJP’s tally may get reduced to 4/5 from its present tally. In Bengal too,the party is not in a position to make any difference. Even in North-East, the party has been reduced to nowhere and the only space left for the party isto try its politicalfortune is North India and that is why the party is trying to play a different ballgame by using Amit Shah and accommodatinghis brand of politics, which is known to one and all as to what he is capable of.
The only thing that will change the political map and discourse of the BJP is by what the party is going to decide in Bihar whether to fight alone or by not disturbing the present political configuration. Weighing options of allies, BJP may have different strategy for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh because Modi in the present context is politicallyimmaterial in South and some other states and under such circumstances going alone in the next LokSabha polls may turn out to be a political fiasco for the BJP if Modi fails to make any significant impact on the polity. In the present political format, the role of regional parties may take centre stage because given the mood of the people no party at this juncture is capable to achieve absolute majority unless and until there is drastic swing in people’s mood for or against any political party. And under such scenario the identity of allies and their importance has to be acknowledged to keep pace with the coalition politics which is likely to dominate for some more decades from now.
In the parliamentary board meet of the BJP, the party has decided to corner UPA at all levels and stressed the need to strengthen the party down to the booth level. But if we go by the media reports the issue of prime ministerial candidate in the BJP was not touched upon. The strategy of Modi who was supposed to be the in-charge of BJP election campaign even if it has not been declared so but the impression that has come out from the meet suggests that he is going to be certainly an important strategist for the BJP.
On the very next day, SushmaSwaraj downplayedself-acclaimedimaginary role of a prime ministerial candidate taken up by Narendra Modi.Sushma, in her reply to a question about the future role of L K Advani, said, “The party has not ruled out anyone from the race.” She also questioned the scribe who told himAdvani’s name would not be considered by the parliamentary board. She further said that appropriate decision will be taken only by the parliamentary board. Now many believe that LK Advani is promoting NitinGadkari as the head of election management committee for the coming assembly polls even though he was against second terms for Gadkari. Advani, while doing so, is trying to make rapport with the RSS in order to keep his prime ministerial ambition alive and ticking. The detractors from Modi camp or against him in anywayare re-grouping to project someone else for the prime ministerial candidate instead of Narendra Modi.
Ata time when BJP was formulating the strategy to take on UPA in its parliamentary board meet, UPA was preparing to celebrate its nine years in office which can be best described as a journey travelled halfway, with some hits and misses. Congress Party during its nine years report card presentation, on 22May, attempted to put a united and brave face, to undermine all that has gone wrong. The party has to pull up its socks to put its house in order otherwise the damage could be even more than expected. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi attempted to put an end to the speculation in the media about possible rift between her and the Prime Minister by saying that such reports are baseless and at the same time tried to cease the opportunity to put a united face of the party by saying that Prime Minister is carrying out his responsibilities with dignity despite unrelenting hostility and abuse from the opposition. She further said, “We respect him and all stand by him.”
No doubt,a series of scams and anti-incumbency that looms large over the party is likely to damage the political prospects of the party even more than expected unless and until some historic and path-breaking measuresare taken. The Food Security Bill could have come as arespite for the government if it was brought out a couple of years ago from now. The party at this point oftime is clueless and confused on what could be the possible way out to counter anti-incumbency.