It is amusing the way a narrative is being built by the electronic media that commutations/combinations of castes and communities will decide the coming Assembly elections in five states. It is noticeable especially in Uttar Pradesh, the crucial state, which has the largest representation in the Lok Sabha, the lower House of Parliament.
Every day, television channels are talking about how different political parties are doing everything they can to hold on to their base but also get the support of other caste groups.
One recurrent theme in this context is the alleged attempt of political parties like the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party to get the support of the Brahmin community, which at present appears to be a major contributor to the vote bank of the ruling BJP. In several decades after Independence, the community had been supporting the Congress.
There is also repeated talk of how different opposition parties are trying to get the support of the Muslim community. The community in Uttar Pradesh especially is thought to have been a key supporter of the Samajwadi Party in the last 20-30 years.
In short, a narrative is being built that the coming Assembly elections, especially in Uttar Pradesh, will be decided by the combination of castes and communities commanded by different political parties.
The attempt clearly appears to be to draw attention away from the failures of the ruling dispensation headed by the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo at the Centre and by ‘Yogi’ Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh.
The BJP heads the governments in four of the five states, which would be going to the polls early next year.
Hopefully, the attempt will fail and the people vote for a new dispensation sensitive to their needs and aspirations.
