BJP’s many UPyogi tactics

The grand electoral battle of 2024 has a significant precursor, a litmus test, an indicator, or in sport metaphor, a semi-final, in the electoral showdown in Uttar Pradesh early next year. Which is why the four other states going to polls in a few months — Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur — will have to content with lesser children status — because nowhere else will the Opposition have a greater opportunity to halt the BJP juggernaut.

Politics has already heated up the coldest of months. The ruling BJP, with perfected finesse, has started to put its show of strength — unleashing a blitzkrieg led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his accompanying leitmotif of nationalism, Hindutva and development rolled into one.

Kashi had the electrifying fusion of all the elements, which will be repeated, like in a Greek drama, again and again: Aurangzeb and Shivaji, the oldest city’s newest look, Pradhan Sevak Modi with migrant workers as partners of development; even as the farmers who returned with a prime ministerial apology, and a win, persuade socialist sensibilities and enable slogans of classes united — soldiers, farmers, workers — under the Lotus.

The Opposition could not come together, if that was its belief, to fight the BJP for a cause larger than an election. If the Congress, SP, BSP, Left, and the others, really believe the fight against the BJP is a fight to save the idea of India, UP was the place to put its belief into action. They apparently won’t. From UP to Punjab, it will be multiple players fighting and jostling.

The Samajwadi Party, which has the best chances of taking on the BJP in UP, is largely fighting it alone. And is already speaking the language of a victim. Income tax raids on its leaders, it alleges, are intimidation tactics; and portends the ED and CBI will follow. The Akhilesh Yadav (AY) versus Yogi Adityanath (YA) battle is already seeming a bit one-sided, with the many UPyogi tactics of the BJP at play. But so far, if passion for a fight were a sole factor, the BJP is already halfway there.