With the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and other states just a call away, there’s a frenetic “developmental” push in the star state in Indian politics that has the largest population of nearly 20 crore – forming some 17 per cent of the national total. This, even after a bifurcation of former UP into two with formation of Uttarakhand in 2000. UP’s largest size in Parliament, with 80 MPs in the Lok Sabha itself, obviously adds to its clout. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi having made Varanasi his political base since 2014, the importance of Uttar Pradesh has further escalated. On the debit side, Uttar Pradesh is also the most-chaotic state in terms of law and order, a credit it shares with neighbouring Bihar.
Stakes are high for the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh, a fact that is reinforced also by the so-called “developmental” push for the state in recent weeks, led by the Prime Minister himself. In a latest in the series of visits for foundation-laying and launches, Modi was in Varanasi on Thursday, unveiling schemes worth over Rs 2000 crore. Nothing wrong per se about developing a region or state, other than that it should not be at the cost of the others that are also craving for development. An upcoming election by itself should not be the spur for development either. After all, the question arises why such a frenzy when the state is at the end of term of the BJP rule, rather than the party showing the nerve to push development there in the past five years. In part, fooling the people could be the name of the game. The poor in India, fed on a diet of hope and their bellies left half-starved, form the bulk of the electorate; mere sitting ducks for politicians to take them on a fancy ride and rob victory often from the jaws of defeat.
In all fairness, the Yogi Adityanath government in the state was far better compared to the complacency of BJP rule in other states and even at the Centre. Reason why opinion polls one after another give it a fair chance of returning to power. But, any election scenario is unpredictable until the day the votes are cast and counting done. There are times when new issues come upfront and spoil the chances of an incumbent government. It can happen in UP as well and this must explain the present developmental over-drive by the PM in Varanasi and elsewhere in the state through a series of foundation-stone laying agenda and other programmes. Others too deserve their fair share.
