Opinion: Vocal Dalits and silent Muslims! Is BJP's fortunes sinking in UP this time?

Fear of 'crossing 400 this time'?

Sharma said he had been agonizing for weeks over whether he should vote for the government in power or look for a strong challenger “with the sole intention of strengthening the opposition”. He said that a good administration is one which is always ready to serve the citizens. He says, 'This can happen when the numerical strength of any one party or alliance in Parliament is not very high. Excessive centralization of power gives rise to its misuse. We definitely need a good opposition party. He is well aware of the emotions that often arise while traveling in UP. On the other hand, businessman Pulkit Garg in Shahjahanpur said that he would not like if BJP wins '400 seats as claimed'. Regarding voting for the saffron party, he is quick to say, 'It's just that it is not good for democracy.'

miss my sister

Mayawati's 'absence' from the political field has suddenly started pricking a large section of the Dalits of the state. In these elections, Scheduled Caste voters are feeling more empty than in any other election. Be it Nagina, an area with a significant presence of Dalits, or Hathras, an area that shook the entire country in 2020 due to the rape and murder of a girl and the immediate burning of her body, all the Dalit castes expressed their desire. That BSP should be strengthened. Should be.

The eyes of 'leaders' and organizations who give priority to the rights of the deprived are fixed on Mayawati and Chandrashekhar Azad. He wants the return of his sister and the rise of Chandrashekhar. He often mentions words like 'identity' and 'existence'. “It would have been an easy decision for many of us,” said Sanoj Nigam, a teacher from Muzaffarnagar. When asked if he too fears that the party that gets an overwhelming majority after these elections may make changes to the Constitution, he replied, 'I personally don't think so, but in debates with my friends and relatives. This issue comes up a lot. Often. There are definitely some apprehensions. The opposition alliance India has sown the seeds of doubt in the minds of the people.

What is in the minds of silent Muslims?

In a busy workshop at Ghantaghar in Meerut, a group of young Muslims asked me to show my 'press card' before answering some questions. One of them said, 'Sorry, we need to know who we're talking to.' After this he told that he keeps an eye on political news and developments on social media, but avoids speaking openly as much as possible. He says, 'It's never too late to make a big deal. Whenever there is polarization, we never benefit. We are silent, we are scared and we are cautious. But I think this time we will vote in large numbers. We have taken great care in the selection of candidates and parties. Votes will not be divided unnecessarily. I think not only in UP, there is similar thinking everywhere. see you next…'

India Shining is being discussed a lot

The new Ram temple in Ayodhya has made many Hindus proud. He is happy and full of pride. His face lights up as soon as there is talk of 'disappearance of stone pelters' in Kashmir. During the conversations and squabbles at the chaupalas and street corners, there was rarely mention of UCC and CAA, but there was a lot of discussion about India's 'growing stature' in the world.

However, some staunch supporters of the BJP also complained that many of the party's MPs have become lazy and have stopped caring about their constituencies. Hotelier Samrat Gupta in Bareilly said, 'They just keep doing Modi-Modi. And now he talks about improving the law and order situation in UP. Shouldn't all this be left to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath? MPs rarely talk about local issues. Many people are very angry with him for ignoring their seats. Elections cannot be conducted solely by relying on the central government.

Road is a big issue

Agniveer Sending youth to the army has been a painful issue in some areas. The youth also talked about paper leak and unemployment. And yes, roads. Everyone wants shiny roads. In fact, the biggest complaint against the sitting MP in Farrukhabad was that he has done very little work on this front. People said, 'Look at districts like Mainpuri. We demand an expressway that will take us to prosperous areas.

It is too early to say whether Congress is on its way to a comeback in UP as it has missed many opportunities, lost allies or remained silent in the last decade. However, the way Dalits and Muslims are now seeing it as an option is somewhat shocking. Undoubtedly a lot needs to be done. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi should work there.