The countdown to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections has begun with each party positioning itself for the big fight. The BSP has Mayawati. The SP has Mulayam Singh Yadav. The Congress has young Rahul Gandhi. What about the Bharatiya Janata Party that is working overnight to make a comeback in India’s most populous state that it once ruled? It was understood that the BJP would project some young face. But that is not so as the party feels it safe to project former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the right man to wrest power from the Dalit leader Mayawati in the state.
In many places hoardings and banners with Vajpayee’s photo have come up. They are mostly visible in the route of former UP chief minister Rajnath Singh's Jan Swabhiman Yatra.
The development no doubt will raise many eyebrows in the political corridor and among media experts. The fact is Vajpayee has lived his shelf life. Political analysts know that the former PM is too frail to be part of the hectic campaign. Banking on an old leader mean that the infighting in the BJP over leadership is still not settled. Intense infighting in the party and with no consensus candidate coming up, the party that had come to power by raising Hindutva issue has gone back to Vajpayee.
Right now there are many prime ministerial candidates in the BJP. LK Advani is in the forefront of the race. But with no support coming from the RSS that controls the party his chances appear to be dim. Rajnath Singh, Narendra Modi and others too are in the race.
The infighting in BJP may help the Congress and others consolidate its position in Uttar Pradesh. If BJP that doesn’t tire of talking about Hindu brotherhood fails to set its house in order then its dream of coming into power in UP would founder. There is time for the party to rethink on its policy. Like the Congress, they should think of some young face who can reinvigorate the party in the crucial Assembly elections.
In many places hoardings and banners with Vajpayee’s photo have come up. They are mostly visible in the route of former UP chief minister Rajnath Singh's Jan Swabhiman Yatra.
The development no doubt will raise many eyebrows in the political corridor and among media experts. The fact is Vajpayee has lived his shelf life. Political analysts know that the former PM is too frail to be part of the hectic campaign. Banking on an old leader mean that the infighting in the BJP over leadership is still not settled. Intense infighting in the party and with no consensus candidate coming up, the party that had come to power by raising Hindutva issue has gone back to Vajpayee.
Right now there are many prime ministerial candidates in the BJP. LK Advani is in the forefront of the race. But with no support coming from the RSS that controls the party his chances appear to be dim. Rajnath Singh, Narendra Modi and others too are in the race.
The infighting in BJP may help the Congress and others consolidate its position in Uttar Pradesh. If BJP that doesn’t tire of talking about Hindu brotherhood fails to set its house in order then its dream of coming into power in UP would founder. There is time for the party to rethink on its policy. Like the Congress, they should think of some young face who can reinvigorate the party in the crucial Assembly elections.
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