Special Correspondent
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and incumbent Chief Minister Yogi Aditya Nath have been professing a complete saffron sweep in the ongoing Assembly Polls in Uttar Prasedsh. But those having an ear to the ground discount the tall claims of the duo. For, the increasing internal squabbling has become a cause of grave concern for the saffron brigade, hitherto known for its external discipline. Many insiders feel the group leaders are making use of the election an opportunity to settle scores with opponents from within in the party. These leaders, instead of striving for their own victory are out in the field to seal the fate of the opponent in the party. This is an atmosphere like 1999 when the BJP’s seats dwindled to half in the elections in UP, due to internal disturbances.
The just concluded first phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh gives an indication that all is not well with the BJP. In the 2017 assembly polls the Jat-dominated Western UP gave a massive 90 percent verdict in favour of the saffron party, but this time, the internal politics of the BJP is likely to do more damage than the anger of the peasant community or the extra aggressive campaign of the SP-RLD combine.
“The focus of BJP leaders is more on ensuring the defeat of their rivals in the party than on defeating the SP alliance. With the internal bickering on the rise in the party it will not be an easy passage for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Gorakhpur or for Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in Sirathu seat in Kaushambi. While one section of the BJP is providing resources to Pallavi Patel, the SP candidate who is pitted against Maurya, the other is working against Yogi Adityanath in Gorakhpur,” a BJP insider observes.
According to a senior party functionary “there is internal tussle even at the top leadership. Many times supporters of party’s national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are also seen working against each other.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision not to address a single rally during the first phase of elections is also being linked to this “non-cooperation” at the highest level. Blaming the bad weather, Modi did not go to Bijnor, while Yogi’s helicopter landed with ease in Bijnor in the same weather.
Some Senior BJP leader’s feel Chief Minister Yogi Aditya Nath’s provocative speech has also contributed considerably to turn the mood of the electorate against the party in western Uttar Pradesh. Many castes got annoyed with BJP due to his statements like “garmi nikal denge” (will take heat out of you). Many feel the vocal and intensive campaign of the influential and popular Kissan Leaders like Rakesh Tikait have also considerably dampened the poll prospects of an extra zealous BJP in Western UP.
A political observer closely associated with the Sangh Parivar describes the current political situation in the state “similar to that of the 1999 Lok Sabha elections. Then there were multiple factions in the state BJP and these groups were working against each other. That is why the 58 seats won by the BJP in UP in 1998 were reduced to 29 in 1999.”
