With recent events overtaking the election scene in Uttar Pradesh, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party are revamping their election campaign to derive maximum political advantage from the change in scenario.
While the BJP is now quietly dumping the corruption issue and opting for a more potent issue of 4.5 per cent Muslim reservation from within the OBC quota, the Bahujan Samaj Party will now focus more on the dalit pride, vis-a-vis, the covering of statues as per the EC order.
The BJP, which had been on the defensive on the Kushwaha issue, is now preparing to take maximum advantage from the same issue.
The party will now get Babu Singh Kushwaha, who represents the non-Yadav and non-Kurmi OBC castes, to campaign for the party and speak against the 4.5 Muslim reservation within the OBC quota.
“The quota within quota will adversely affect the backwards within backwards, which means that non-Yadav and non-Kurmi castes will be deeply affected. Firstly, Muslim reservation, based on religion, is against the spirit of the Constitution, and secondly, it cuts into the OBC share of reservation. Mr Kushwaha, who represents this segment in the OBCs, will campaign on this issue and turn it to our advantage,” said a senior BJP leader.
According to the leader, the campaign will not only — slowly but firmly — shift the focus from the BJP’s earlier campaign against corruption but will also provide a degree of political legitimacy to Mr Kushwaha.
The BJP, apparently, is determined not to severe ties with Mr Kushwaha and is keen to prove to its detractors that Mr Kushwaha can prove beneficial for the party, especially in Bundelkhand.
On the other hand, the ruling BSP is delighted that the Election Commission has inadvertently given it a issue for the elections in UP. The order for covering statues of Ms Mayawati and the elephant will be used by the BSP as a issue related to dalit pride.