BJP's temple declaration clearly a polarisation bid

LUCKNOW: With the Bharatiya Janata Party honing its pro-Hindutva stance by returning to the issue of Ram temple construction at the disputed Ayodhya site, Uttar Pradesh once again seems set to witness sharp political polarisation ahead of the next general election.
Putting all doubts to rest, BJP's state in charge Amit Shah visited Ayodhya on Saturday and announced there his party's resolve to construct Ram temple.Ever since his appointment, it was his first such political engagement, in which he made it clear that stoking public sentiment will be the party's theme to regain lost ground in the state.
His assertion comes in the backdrop of likelihood that his mentor and the party's Hindu mascot, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, might contest Lok Sabha election from Varanasi to improve the party's prospects.
Shah's political confabulation is a source of anxiety across the nation. Congress as well as all anti-BJP leaders have unequivocally criticised him and the BJP for raking up the Ayodhya issue. Though dismissive about its fallout, all political leaders know it well that the issue has potential to create religious divide and sharpen political polarisation in UP.
Reason lies in the historical framework of the state politics. The BJP has gained much by its core Hindutva issue whenever Samajwadi Party ruled the state. In 1990, the SP government headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav ordered firing on Karsewaks in Ayodhya. The incident marked a turning point in Hindutva's path of self-discovery in modern India and its advantage was reaped by the BJP, voted to power with clear majority in the 1991 assembly election. It was also that historic instance when Mulayam Singh Yadav earned the 'Mulla Mulayam' nickname (given by Sadhvi Ritambhara).
The image thus built has been retained assiduously and it is why Mulayam remains a popular leader among minorities. The SP's comeback to power is also attributed to the majority support of the minority community. The SP's quest for addressing its minority constituency is also evident from the many welfare schemes it has launched for encouraging education and removing poverty among Muslims. In spite of wide criticism from the BJP, the SP government has not changed its stance and continued its pro-minority stance.
The state makes fertile ground for politics of confrontation. With ruling Samajwadi Party at the helm of affairs and the BJP harping on a sensitive issue like Ayodhya, chances for polarisation are extreme. Already the prevailing situation is emergent, if one takes into account incidents of communal violence. As many as 29 such incidents were reported in the state ever since March 15 of which three were big occurring at Mathura, Bareilly and Faizabad. Seven incidents of communal violence occurred during the period, including two at Pratapgarh and one each at Ghaziabad, Bareilly, Sambhal, Bijnor and Allahabad.
Besides, 17 communal incidents occurred-thrice each at Meerut and Muzafarnagar, twice each at Ghaziabad and Kushinagar,and once at Lucknow, Bijnor, Sitapur, Baharaich, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Moradabad and Shamli.
Thus, for the SP government, the bigger challenge at the moment is rising dissatisfaction among people against governance lapses in the state. It is not only the lacklustre law and order situation that has turned a section of the public against the SP, but also a general complaint that government officials and employees are not too keen to do the bidding of their political masters. The frequent transfer of state officials at all levels is an indication that the government is struggling to find the right officer for the right job.
To check the tide of unrest from swelling, Mulayam is also playing the opposition, a critic of his party's government led by his son. On several occasions, he has stated that the CM must put things in order. He has also cautioned ministers and party leaders that they must remain attached to the ground reality across the state. Reports of ministers and party leaders behaving erratically keep coming from time to time, giving the impression that the CM needs to take tighter control of his administration.
But in terms of political reckoning, it is SP that poses the biggest challenge to the BJP. Reason is that both have radical positions on their respective core constituencies. As for the Congress, the agenda is not clear yet. While the party in charge Madhusudan Mistri has yet to work out a strategy, party's leader and Union minister Beni Prasad Verma often makes headlines for the wrong reason.
An erstwhile comrade of Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, Verma quit the party just before the 2009 elections and since then has been attacking the SP and Yadav at every opportunity. While the Congress is rather uncomfortable with his utterances since the SP has been supporting the UPA government, for Verma it is his way of consolidating his position as any Congress leader of substance who can take on Yadav. Apparently, his utterances are meant to position him as the only leader who does not treat SP as a party whose support is needed, but a rival who has to be tackled on his home turf.
On the other hand, the Congress seems to be soft towards the BSP. Within political circle, it is believed that the Congress which is already in alliance with the Lok Dal, might also forge some tacit understanding with the BSP to meet the emerging challenge of political polarisation in the state.