The Hindu : More to U.P. by-elections than meets the eye

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 28, 2002

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More to U.P. by-elections than meets the eye

By Our Special Correspondent

LUCKNOW MAY 27. The popularity of the BSP-BJP ruling alliance in Uttar Pradesh is going to have its first test in the Lok Sabha and State Assembly by-elections later this week.

The realignment of political forces following the installation of the Mayawati Government here recently has turned the by-elections into a direct fight between the ruling coalition and the combined might of the Opposition parties, barring the Congress. The Samajwadi Party leader, Mulayam Singh Yadav, has made it a contest between the backward classes led by his own party and the coalition of Dalit forces represented by the Bahujan Samaj Party on one hand and the so-called upper caste following of the Bharatiya Janata Party on the other.

Campaigning in the four constituencies -- the Lok Sabha constituency of Akbarpur and the Assembly constituencies of Baheri,Jehangir Ganj and Dibai -- comes to an end on Wednesday and polling will take place on Friday. As compared to the last Assembly elections, the tone of campaigning this time round has been a study in contrast.

The Chief Minister, Mayawati, and the UP Bharatiya Janata Party president, Kalraj Mishra, who did everything to damage their mutual interests during the Assembly elections, have campaigned jointly this time in favour of their common candidates. Similarly the Rashtriya Kranti Party leader and former UP Chief Minister, Kalyan Singh, made common cause with Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav, addressing joint election meetings with him after long years of acrimonious relationship.

The opponents have made all attempts to expose the contradictions that have converted yesterday's foes into today's friends. The Samajwadi Party has hit out against Ms.Mayawati's "opportunistic politics'' of "ruling over Uttar Pradesh with the help of the communal BJP'', thereby "betraying the trust of Muslims reposed in the BSP''. The BSP has quickly responded by reminding the minorities that Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav has chosen to join the company of Kalyan Singh "who alone was responsible for the demolition of the Babri mosque at Ayodhya during his Chief Ministership''.

The by-election results would thus indicate to an extent how Muslims themselves have interpreted the new realignment of political forces in the State. The strength of Muslim voters is substantial in both Akbarpur and Jehangir Ganj.

Mr.Mulayam Singh Yadav and Ms.Mayawati have emerged as the principal political players in the new context. Of the four constituencies where by-elections are taking place the BJP is a contestant only in Dibai, its opponent there being the son of Mr. Kalyan Singh, a nominee of the Rashtriya Kranti Party. In the three other constituencies it is a fight between the candidates of the Samajwadi Party and the BSP.

The BJP has been an apparent loser in terms of the number of its political friends since it decided to join hands with the BSP. Two of its farmer allies -- Chaudhary Narendra Singh, a Minister in the Rajnath Singh Government and leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Bahujan Party, and R K Chaudhary of Lok Pariwartan Party -- have since decided to leave its company and join hands with Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav. The formation of the new alliance seems have completely polarised the politics of the State into two camps.

The Congress alone has maintained its separate identity without siding with this or that group. But it is still not clear whether it would be a gainer or loser by ploughing a lonely furrow.

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More to U.P. by-elections than meets the eye