Contradictions in SP-BSP alliance, BJP depends on Narendra Modi

Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh have hard to control its allies Apana Dal and SBSP that have put it on notice. The BJP will bank on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign in the state ahead of the general election and built a sketch of ” Contradictions” in the SP-BSP alliance and “corruption” in their respective regimes.

In this month of 2019, the PM will address a rally in Agra on January 9, another in Aligarh, make two visits to Varanasi, one to Lucknow and possibly also to the Kumbh in Prayagraj, said people privy to the plans alone. They said the party is readying a campaign that would target the SP-BSP alliance on grounds of lawlessness and corruption prevalent in the state whenever either of the parties was at the helm in the state.

The Centre’s move for upper-caste reservation could help consolidate its core base in UP too given the backward consolidation on the other side, they said, adding that implementing the OBC (Other Backward Classes) quota sub-categorisation proposal is also on the cards.

Some meaningful word from BJP members about the SP-BSP alliance

A few BJP members, however, said that the SP-BSP alliance could pose a challenge to the party owing to the coalition’s large caste base in the state. Besides, they said, the Yogi Adityanath government had frittered much of the political gains on account of its Rs 36,000 crore farm loan waiver because of growing unrest over politics on stray cows and mounting sugarcane arrears due to farmers.

Meanwhile, the BJP also faces an intriguing problem with its allies in the state – Apna Dal is threatening to walk out of the alliance if the OBC quota sub-categorisation is implemented while SBSP has said it will quit if the same is not implemented.

“BJP should first get a caste census done before implementing the OBC sub-categorisation idea or it will be injustice to the backwards which we will not support,” Apna Dal leader and Union minister Anupriya Patel said on Monday.

The BJP, though, is targeting the opposition alliance on account of contradictions among its members. “How will SP and BSP workers, who have fought for over two decades, collaborate in the entire state? Working together in a couple of bypolls is different from working across the state,” a senior BJP leader in the state told ET.

The BJP has completed a review of the performance of its existing 68 MPs and the public mood regarding them. A sizeable number of MPs may be dropped, said the BJP leader.