BJP Feasting on Rotten Apples

The winds are changing in Uttar Pradesh

Dinesh Narayanan
Updated: Jan 5, 2012 02:44:51 PM UTC

 

Political winds seem to be changing direction in Uttar Pradesh in the past few days. What appeared to be blowing in favour of the opposition in UP when elections were announced now seems to be filling the sails of Mayawati’s boat.

On Tuesday, Bahujan Samaj Party MLA and former minister Avadhesh Verma broke down in front of television cameras lamenting that despite loyally serving Mayawati he was kicked out of the party for no fault of his. By evening, Verma was dining in the BJP tent with a party ticket in pocket to fight elections from his home constituency Dadraul.

Verma is among many BSP discards such as Daddan Mishra, Badshah Singh and Babu Singh Kushwaha who have got the red carpet treatment from the BJP. And there are quite a few of them. Facing anti-incumbency for the first time, Mayawati has started a purge from BSP. She has sacked 21 of 52 ministers from her cabinet. Several other sitting legislators have also been denied tickets this time around. Those unhappy with the way things have gone are either leaving the party or being chucked out. Why is the BJP waiting with open arms to welcome BSP politicians expelled on charges of corruption?

Sources close to the BJP leadership say that it is a strategy that the party had decided upon months ago. It had drawn up a list of several `vulnerable’ BSP legislators who could defect and had been working on them believing that many of them had pockets of influence and would weaken the BSP in those places. But accepting the tainted leaders into the party fold may backfire on it. A party worker and ticket seeker says that it has demoralized the cadres. In fact, some of the top leaders themselves are said to be unhappy with the way things are going for it, especially since it has been attacking the Congress Party for corruption. After giving shelter to tainted politicians so close to the polls, BJP leaders will hardly be believable when they go out seeking votes vowing to fight corruption.

Perhaps the party believes that it cannot anyway win the state on its own steam. So the strategy now appears to be to try win about 50-60 seats and hope for a hung assembly. Such a result could open up a chance to form a government with another party that wins about 150 seats. But then Nitin Gadkari cannot shake hands with Rahul Gandhi or Mulayam Singh. That leaves the BJP with only one possibility -- join Mayawati. She is certain to benefit given that the opposition parties have begun digging their own graves so close to the elections. The Gods of politics do have a sense of irony!

The thoughts and opinions shared here are of the author.

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