Prayagraj and Ayodhya: BJP's 'Work in Progress' in UP

The general perception about governance by Adityanath-led BJP in Uttar Pradesh has consistently been that it’s ‘low on content, high in rhetoric'. It is typically a high-mast display of Hindutva, the latest example being the name-changing trend started by the state government, which is clearly unsure of its administrative acumen and is, therefore, indulging in such gimmicks.

It is common knowledge that the political skillet of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been kept warm with issues, such as Ram Temple and Kumbh Mela, in order to garner Hindu votes ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In fact, BJP insiders do not mince words while stating that the Adityanath government has been a stumbling block in the grand scheme of things of the saffron party owing to lack of good governance, largely attributed to an 'apathetic' bureaucracy, not willing to deliver on the ground.

The reason behind the lukewarm role of bureaucracy, especially in Uttar Pradesh, which has a population of 23 crore, is cannot be pin-pointed but it is clear that the lack or absence of administrative skills of Adityanath has added to the predicament. It is no secret thatthe UP government, with 80 Lok Sabha seats, is the engine of the Central government and has performed below expectations so far, especially with regard to development that the state is crying for. 

There is little wonder then that the BJP think-tank, left with no other option, has decided to project the religious fair of Kumbh 2019, held on the banks of Sangam -- the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati --  in Prayagraj along with the hyped-up Ram Temple issue, as its two planks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP has already indicated the 'work in progress' in this regard, starting with the renaming of Allahabad and Faizabad, the land of Kumbh and Ram Temple, respectively.

It is ironical that earlier the BJP had been critical of Bahujan Samaj Party in the past when the then Chief Minister of UP, Mayawati, had started the trend of changing names of districts and cities. Which why its name-changing spree is being seen as the stooping down of the BJP government to follow the same path, apparently because the governance is not giving out positive signs in the state.

UP Congress Committee spokesperson, Surendra Rajpoot, agrees that the Adityanath government’s renaming spree is yet another superficial move by BJP to improve its fortunes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. “They have nothing to display as far as development is concerned, hence,  public attention is being diverted to communal issues'', he said, apprehending that the ruling dispensation may resort to further vitiate communal harmony to garner Hindu votes.

This is quite fits in with the BJP’s politics because Kumbh Mela, arguably the largest congregation of Hindus, has been so inter-linked with the Ayodhya issue in the run-up to Kumbh in January 2019. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)and other Hindu outfits have already planned various programmes to amplify the voices in favour of Ram Temple construction, an issue that is being seen as crucial for polarising Hindu votes ahead of the general elections.

The BJP may be wanting to revisit history, for, it was the Kumbh of 1989 from where the clarion call for building a Ram Temple in Ayodhya was given by VHP, followed by a Rath Yatra led by BJP veteran L K Advani in 1990, demolition of the structure at Ayodhya in 1992 -- all of which is helping Hindutva forces find their groove again in the changed scenario of Indian politics under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.

For BJP, caste-ridden Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, coupled with Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, to an extent, are states where the consolidated Hindu vote is the only answer to compartmentalisation of vote banks into Dalit, Backwards and Most Backwards. ''Why separate Dalits or Backwards when all Hindus are one,'' said a senior BJP leader on the condition of anonymity, thereby giving a clear hint of what is being planned by the party ahead of the 2019 elections.

However, one thing is certain -- the main election battleground for BJP in the coming months is going to be Uttar Pradesh, and its work is already in progress there.

(The writer is a senior journalist and political commentator based in Uttar Pradesh. The views expressed are personal.)