UP polls have a message for India

THE MUCH anticipated poll results of politically sensitive Uttar Pradesh have come and Maya is once again the Mem Saheb of state’s helm of affairs. Popularly known as Behenji, Mayawati this time has emerged victorious with a thumping majority of her own, breaking the last 14 years record. Away from Media limelight, the Bahujan Samaj Party supremo along with her people has been successful in introducing a social engineering where the first caste of the Varna system has come on an equal platform with the fourth one. This in itself is a departure from history.

At this time, saying that only social engineering has helped BSP emerge victorious is wrong. Some political analysts have even gone on to compare BSP with the Congress, which had combined the Brahmin- Muslim- Dalit combination in its favour. But, it’s not exactly the same. It’s now a time to think beyond caste-based and vote bank-based politics, especially, at this time when people have voted for security, and law and order, which had completely deteriorated during the Samajwadi Party regime.

The BJP, not winning a good vote share, even though it went back to it’s original winning card of hardcore Hindutva, is a proof of the changing scenario. A section of Muslims concerned about their security and with an intent to keep the BJP away from power, voted for Mayawati. But still, by getting around 25 percent of vote share as compared to BSP’s 30 percent, the Samajwadi Party has made it clear that its Muslim-Yadav combination is still intact.

The 2007 UP elections have clearly shown that hardcore Hindutva even with covert media support is not going to help the BJP to win a majority. Also, for the fourth estate, the UP Election 2007 has given a clear message that the media should try to reach the ground level reality. Exit polls should be taken with a pinch of salt, news should be preverified and analysis should be backed by proper research.

Now, when we talk of the national parties like the Congress and the BJP, it is evident that a thorough re- look at the party structure is needed to make it more mass based. The parties should be looking at democracy within before they set out to manage the affairs of the nation. Appeasement of the particular sections of society and communalization of the politics should be done away with.

Abraham Lincoln’s definition of democracy that the government is of the people, for the people and by the people has to be referred to. Sadly now it has become a case of government off the people, far (from) the people and (to) buy the people.

This way UP elections clearly shows what people of the country feel. The mandate should be an eye-opener to the national parties especially to the BJP and the Congress that still security and law and order are the primary needs of the people apart from development. This is the beginning, a forward step in getting the society rid of caste- based and vote- based politics.