There have
been more than enough incidents to give the political opposition ammunition to
portray the BJP as an anti-Dalit party but what is interesting is how it is
going to play out in Uttar Pradesh.
In the
prevailing political circumstances, we can safely say that Uttar Pradesh is
going to see a dual battle again, as usual, between the two main political
parties of the state - the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party
(BSP) - as the Congress is effectively out - and the BJP has lost the
opportunity - though both of these parties will not leave any stone unturned in
campaigning and canvassing.
That would
add more colour to the atmosphere as the days to the upcoming assembly polls
approach near.
But the
core battle would be between the SP and the BSP only. And the BSP has clear
edge this time - with caste equations, social engineering and anti-incumbency
against the Akhilesh Yadav led SP government of Uttar Pradesh - slated to play
out well for her.
Any
development on the caste equation scenario, anything that would help Mayawati's
social engineering formula, that is going to be Dalit+Muslim combination this
time, would hurt the SP more than the BJP.
If the BJP
is facing the heat on the reports of anti-Dalit acts in the BJP ruled states
and by the BJP leaders, Mayawati is going to be its beneficiary in the UP's
electoral politics, especially after a senior BJP leader of Uttar Pradesh
compared Mayawati with prostitute. Initially Mayawati dismissed the issue but
soon started ratcheting up her pitch terming it the attack on the Dalit
identity. The senior BSP strategists would have advised Mayawati the Dalit
politics potential of the issue after she initially dismissed it. That's why we
saw a changed Mayawati when the Rajya Sabha decided to debate the issue later
in the day.
She was
roaring. And she has kept roaring. Even if there have been clear debacles after
the abusive behaviour of her party leaders came out in open who used derogatory
language against women family members of Daya Shankar Singh, the expelled BJP leader
who had used derogatory remarks against Mayawati and who is now on the run.
Even if
Mayawati was forced to cancel his party's statewide protests tomorrow, there
was no sign that Mayawati was going to leave the issue. She, in fact, defended
the language used by her party members.
Because
she knows what she can get by playing the victim card to the hilt - consolidation
of the Dalit voters behind her - something that the SP would like to scuttle at
any cost.
To
continue..
©SantoshChaubey
