UP VOTER PULSE SAYS WORK IS WORSHIP
The Ram temple resonates, but Yogi’s focus on law and order and Modi’s infra push are the main draw for voters
‘Jai Shri
Hindu majoritarian party’s main pitch is only a secondary election issue.
Kalyan Rajput and Radhakrishnan Rajput of Aligarh’s Mehrawal and Nagaliya villages, respectively, discuss the current elections rather animatedly with others at a small dhaba in Aligarh city. “We support Modi. Both Modi and Yogi have done very good work. BJP has built roads, given people homes, water connections and gas cylinders under Ujjwala. When SP was in power, the atmosphere was very bad. The law and order situation was dismal. Now, the police respond to even one phone call. There is peace and safety,” says Radhakrishnan.
Asked about the Ram Mandir, they say it is a “welcome step”, but not a voting issue. “The temple construction should have happened earlier, we have waited long enough. However, we vote for development, not religion. In today’s day and age, everyone is aware and literate enough to not vote on religious matters, but on what the government does,” says Kalyan Rajput.
Ironically, even for many voters in Ayodhya, which is at the heart of the whole movement, the temple is not the primary factor. “I support the Modi government because of all that it has done, from giving gas cylinders under Ujjwala to houses, free ration, pension schemes and building new roads. And yes, the Ram temple,” says Sunil Kumar Pandey, who runs a small shop near Ayodhya’s Lata Mangeshkar Chowk.
Pandey says he has always been a BJP supporter. “But if you ask me what the highlight of this government’s tenure has been, it is the improved law and order situation. That is the most important factor that will make voters like me support the BJP again. Everything else comes later.”
However, it isn’t as if the Ram temple isn’t the first issue on the minds of at least some voters. Such voters, however, are far fewer than expected. Take Reena Verma of Bicchiya village, Unnao, for instance. “I want Modi to be prime minister. I like everything about him. I like his speeches. I particularly like that the BJP has constructed the temple in Ayodhya. We will all go there soon,” says the 21-year-old.
Deepak Nishad, who runs a small cosmetics shop near the temple in Ayodhya, says, “Ab itna bada mandir ban gaya, isse zyada hum kya chaah sakte hai
sarkar se? (The government has constructed such a big temple, what more can we ask of them?)”.
POLL PLANK
BJP says that its focus on law and order and infrastructure issues like roads and electricity have yielded visible results, leading it to make them its key poll pillars.
“The two issues of security and law and order—the former in the context of the nation and the latter in the context of the state—have been the main focus areas for BJP. The improved law and order situation in the state is very visible to the people,” says Chandra Mohan, state secretary of BJP in Uttar Pradesh. “Now you will see girls on cycles and two-wheelers out even after dark. An atmosphere of safety has been created, which is apparent. The number of those spreading terror has significantly gone down.”
“Similarly, the massive push in roads and highway construction as well as smooth electricity supply are also visible to voters. Yogiji’s unique selling proposition is his work. As far as the temple is concerned, people anyway had faith that BJP would bring the issue to its logical conclusion,” he adds.
It isn’t as if the BJP isn’t using the Ram temple issue in its campaign. It is a point the party continues to highlight, but it is clear that law and order has gained primacy.
For instance, in a rally in Bijnore earlier this month, Adityanath said BJP had successfully constructed the Ram temple in Ayodhya, but more than that, he highlighted the law and order situation in the state, claiming that women and the business community now feel safe.
NOT THE SOLUTION
While the Ram Mandir does resonate among Hindu voters, there are some who squirm at the idea of this brazen flirting with religion. “The money this government has spent on the Ram temple could have been spent on development work or to build schools and hospitals. This is nothing but a political tool to lure voters,” says Seema Sharma of Bulandshahr.
“This government focuses too much on religion. Can religion solve all problems? Instead of religion, they should devote this mindspace to governance, education and employment generation,” says Hiralal Kushwaha of Bashiratganj in Unnao.
Meanwhile, members of the minority community feel BJP continuing to harp on the Ram temple shows how it values religion more than the people’s welfare. “Why is BJP always talking about the temple? If it is really a government for all, as the Prime Minister claims, it should talk more about development and welfare. It should, in fact, stop talking about the temple now,” says Arfa Bano of Raebareli.