Maya’s shine overshadows real issues in UP

Uttar Pradesh sends eighty members to the Parliament and plays a crucial role in making or marring the fate of any government at the Centre.

Arun Chaubey

Uttar Pradesh, which is the most populous state in the country, sends eighty members to the Parliament, plays a crucial role in making or marring the fate of any government at the Centre. Its indispensability in national politics has compelled the youth face of the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, to focus here and not to go for any alliance so that a concrete edifice is built for a greater role in future. Although Rahul Gandhi is striving hard to resurrect the oldest party in the state, the ruling BSP is roaring under the iconic leadership of Mayawati who is waiting to knock at the Centre and play a key role in the formation of the next government. The BJP, which once created a record by winning 60 seats under the leadership of Kalyan Singh, is also not sparing any opportunity to get a respectable tally and catapult its veteran leader to the apex post. Amidst this, Socialist Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose party won the maximum number of seats in 2004 polls but failed to be even a part of the UPA, is eager to have his pound of flesh for playing a greater role in the post-election developments. The state, which will vote in five phases and has the national attention because of its political might, has had its image tarnished due to shady politicians, caste equations, corrupt practices and lack of development- despite giving maximum number of Prime Ministers. Besides these, national issues like terror attacks, economy, unemployment, development, communalism and other local issues would play a role in the swaying of electrorate in favour of parties. Criminalisation There seems to be something fundamentally gone wrong with Uttar Pradesh. In the 2007 Assembly elections, the UP Election Watch, an independent NGO, released the percentage of criminal politicians in the state: SP (35.01%); BSP(32.27%); BJP(28.05%); Congress(21.60%). Like the state’s mammoth number of voters- about 114 million- the number of criminal-politicians’ participation is also growing, primarily because of their winability. Every political party is desperate to win the elections. But how far would they compromise with this aspect of politics is not known. The example of Jaunpur, where the Indian Justice Party candidate’s body was found hanging from a tree is very shocking. Political rivalries seem to be turning into gang-wars due to increasing number of criminal politicians. If we take a look at the tainted candidates, the state would shine above all in fielding leaders like Ramakant Yadav (BJP) from Azamgarh, a known criminal politician in eastern UP; Afzal Ansari (BSP) from Gazipur; Mukhtayr Ansari (BSP) from Varansi; Atiq Ahmed (Apna Dal) from Pratapgarh; D P Yadav (BSP) from Sambhal; Dhananjay Singh (BSP) from Jaunpur. The Association of Democratic Rights (ADR) in a report has stated that seven constituencies in the state have candidates with criminal backgrounds, while 46 others with similar backgrounds are spread out in the state. Meanwhile, the state police have claimed to have executed non-bailable warrants against 5,814 people issued by different courts in connection with various cases in its drive. This was as the EC guidelines for nailing down anti-social elements. Caste & communalism Religious polarisation of voters plays a significant role in state politics. In the wake of Varun Gandhi’s hate speech, it was expected that the state would witness the polarisation of votes on communal lines but the Mayawati government scuttled the game plan of the saffron brigade. However, it polarisation can not still be ruled completely as the BJP leaders have attached the issue with the CM’s dictatorial style of functioning. How far the BSP supremo’s action has helped the party in wooing the Muslim vote would reflect only after the poll results. But it became obvious that after her debacle in Bhadohi bypoll, Mayawati would not spare any opportunity to win over the minority vote. On the other hand, the BJP is cornering the BSP on Varun Gandhi episode in those segments where it once dominated. The Samajwadi Party, which despite winning maximum seats in 2004, is trying hard to retain its tally after the Congress snubbed it over seat sharing. By having Kalyan Singh in its fold, it tried to correct its caste mathematics. However, it seems, it would lose its traditional minority support. And if we look at Azam Khan’s open defiance, the writing on the wall is very obvious for the SP. It is interesting to look at Congress strategy in the state. After losing bitterly in May 2007 Assembly polls despite Rahul Gandhi’s hectic road shows, India`s Grand Old Party is confident of resurrection where it matters most. Corruption BSP supremo Mayawati, in one of her speeches during May 2007 Assembly polls, had promised to investigate every act of Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh if voted to power but she failed to deliver on it. Ironically, both Maya and Mulayam are facing CBI probes over corruption charges. While Mayawati is embroiled in the Taj Corridor case, Mulayam Singh is facing CBI enquiry in a disproportionate assets case. Mayawati, who paid more income tax than industrialist Mukesh Ambani in 2007-08, has been accused of ordering her MPs to contribute their discretion-funds and MPLAD funds to the party-fund. It is believed that these are misappropriated funds; she is currently under CBI scrutiny for her personal wealth. Every year on her birthday, Maya`s party members extort money from businessmen and people in positions of influence. This money is said to go straight into the coffers of the party and into the personal wealth of prominent party members, including Mayawati herself. She also came under heavy criticism last year, when a PWD engineer named M K Gupta was killed after he reportedly refused to pay money demanded by a BSP MLA for Behenji’s birthday celebrations. Other issues Considering that the state is almost at the lowest rung in all socio-economic indicators, electricity, road and water should have been the primary focus of the elections but, sadly, the situation is quite different. These real issues seem to have become non-issues, as the poll battle is to be decided on the plank of caste mathematics. In the name of probing an alleged police recruitment scam that happened during SP rule, the BSP government has bitten dust because of the state High Court’s strong stricture against it in dismissing the case. But it is hardly going to make any swing in SP’s favour. In UP, the fight is rather between the personalities of the different party’s leaderships.