By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net
With Uttar Pradesh already in poll mode, all major political parties have aggressively launched their election campaign. A close look however reveals that BJP has already left other political parties way behind in campaigning.
BJP is busy in an organized and intense campaigning with its senior leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing rallies other parties are busy making strategies, dealing with infighting or waiting for some alliance to happen for sailing through the electoral battle.
BJP:
Under pressure to repeat the performance of 2014 Lok Sabha polls, BJP has fixed a target—Abki Baar, 300 paar. It has come up with slogan—Na Gundaraaj, Na Bhrashtachar, Abki Baar Bhajpa Sarkar. For this, its campaign is most organized and visible. It has pressed its senior leaders, including more than half a dozen cabinet ministers for addressing rallies.
Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its national president Amit Shah have addressed rallies while Modi’s rally is again scheduled on November 27 at Kushinagar. Four Parivartan Yatras are moving across state while 75 raths are traveling to get pulse of people through UP ki Man Ki Baat.
Modi has already addressed rallies in Agra and Ghazipur. Separate sammelans for youth, women and farmers are going on. Nearly 200 sammelans for backward castes are also being held.
Samajwadi Party:
Though it kickstarted its poll campaign on November 3 with Akhilesh’s road show partially on ‘Vikas Sey Vijay ki Ore’ rath yatra but the party is engaged in severe political squabble. All its functions are marred with infighting both in Yadav family and eventually in party. Mulayam addressed rally in Ghazipur but Akhilesh did not attend it. The more programmes SP organizes the rift becomes more visible. Party seems to be in disarray despite presenting a unified picture which appears more managed for photo opportunity. Even its programme to hold rallies at division level has failed to kick off.
BSP:
Solely dependent on its president Mayawati, the party is now banking for a miracle of shifting Muslims votes to its side. For this, Mayawati is working overtime with regular media interactions presenting her party as first choice for Muslims. Two other leaders Naseemuddin Siddiqui and Satish Chandra Mishra are holding sammelans at district level but BSP is galvanized when Mayawati hits the road which is yet to happen. Workers are ready but the onus is on Mayawati to take the initiative.
Congress:
With nothing to lose in UP polls as it hardly has any ground left in the state, Congress started on a good note by hiring poll manager Prashant Kishore. But after initial innovations of Rahul’s Kisan Yatra and Khat Panchayat, Kishore has got engaged in striking alliance with other parties. This resulted in confusion and his style of working further Congress leaders. Now after being snubbed by SP, they are again picking up their pieces. Rahul’s rallies failed to make an impact while Sonia’s roadshow in Varanasi and her stay in Allahabad along with Priyanka though created a stir but it still much is to be done. Now they are readying for their dalit sandesh yatras which were planned since July. Congress is still searching for its workers who are hard to find at ground level.
Smaller Parties:
Other smaller parties are making more noise but they have little support at ground. Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal has struck alliance with JD (U) and BS4 and Peace Party has tied up with Mahaan Dal but these combinations look good on paper and have life of only one press conference.