Religion versus common man’s plight is driving the political narrative in Uttar Pradesh in this Lok Sabha election.
The discontentment with rising prices of essential commodities, growing unemployment and paper leaks is palpable across the heartland state, but the BJP is trying to overshadow public displeasure with the biggest symbol of Hindutva — the Ram temple.
Many voters credit Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with bringing the common man’s issues back into the general discourse during his Bharat Jodo Yatras. However, they also believe that Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi have let them down. They feel Rahul switched to Rae Bareli from Amethi and Priyanka didn’t contest fearing defeat.
Rahul had travelled extensively across Uttar Pradesh during his yatras, addressing over 50 rallies and interacting with lakhs of people. His every speech and conversation revolved around unconstitutional politics, growing economic divide, bigotry, lack of jobs, paper leaks, rising costs and the need for a caste census.
When Modi ridiculed Rahul as “shehzada (prince) of the Congress, born with a silver spoon in his mouth”, Priyanka fired a broadside at the Prime Minister, building her argument around Rahul’s Yatra.
“I want to tell him (Modi) that this shehzada walked 4,000km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to listen to your problems…. And there is the shahanshah (emperor) on the other side. Narendra Modiji lives in a palace. Have you ever seen his face on television? Absolutely neat and clean, white kurta without a single spot… How will he understand your labour?” Priyanka asked the people in Amethi earlier this week.
The BJP preferred to ignore the attack apparently because the party had shifted to “religion” and “Ram temple” from “development” after low turnouts in the first two phases of polling.
At a rally in Hardoi on Wednesday, Union home minister Amit Shah said Rahul cared for the vote of only one community: “We have built the Ram temple. Modiji also constructed the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, which was demolished by Aurangzeb.... You must note down that Rahul Baba and Akhilesh (Samajwadi Party president) would put a Babri lock on the Ram temple if they came to power even by mistake,” he added.
The BJP also picked up Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav’s remark at Saifai village in Etawah on Tuesday and dubbed him “anti-Sanatani”.
“Do we make temples like this? Go and see the old temples from south to north. The map of the (Ram) temple is not proper and it is also against vastu. That temple is useless (bekar),” Ram Gopal had said.
A 72-year-old resident of Rae Bareli said a party cannot gain from the same issue in every election. “Every BJP leader is trying to invoke religion and the Ram temple. Lekin kath ki handi roz roz nahin chadhti (but you cannot put a wooden bowl on fire every day),” Anjani Bajpai said.
“We voted the BJP for the Ram temple and Hindu religion in 2014 and 2019 but we destroyed our economy in Modi’s love,” Bajpai said.
Niranjan Singh, 27, a vegetable vendor from Sultanpur, said: “I am a graduate without a job. I appeared in three competitive exams — for the job of a constable, village development officer and inspector — but every time the paper was leaked and cancelled. Tell me what will I do with temple and religion? Bhukhe bhajan na hoi gopala (You cannot worship with an empty belly).”
A political science professor at the University of Allahabad said: “Rahul has set the discourse but it would have been better if he and Priyanka had contested from Amethi and Rae Bareli. It would have sent the message that they are ready to take over from Modi.”
