BJP wants polls in Jan-feb to cash in on notes ban

THE BJP wants the Uttar Pradesh elections to be held before the board examinations — likely in mid-february — in order to cash in on the goodwill PM Narendra Modi has earned with the demonetisation move.

The UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UP school board) has written to the Election Commission that the examinations would be held between February 18 and March 22.

BJP sources said the party’s state unit had conveyed to the national leadership that an election in January-february would be “most beneficial”. Many party leaders do not want polls after the examinations as the leadership has not been able to assess the impact of demonetisation.

“The state party unit is of the view that if the elections are held before the board exams, we will sweep the polls because the popularity of Modiji and the appreciation for the measures taken by the government against black money and corruption are at their peak,” said a party leader.

He said that neither the state nor the central leadership had been able to assess the impact of demonetisation after two or three months. “It is still ambiguous. It will be a huge risk to wait till March-end to hold elections,” he added.

If the elections have to be held before February 18, the Election Commission has to announce the dates of polling in the next few days, the source added.