*Amit Shah addresses rally in Etawah.
*Eyes Brahmin voters strikes connect with voters on law and order issue.
FAISAL FAREED
LUCKNOW
While the Samajwadi Party engaged itself in power tussle, Bhartiya Janata Party has set its eyes on Mulayam’s fiefdom in lower doab region of Mainpuri-Etawah. BJP’s national president Amit Shah’s rally in Etawah on Thursday was one such to make inroads in Yadav belt.
The region is projected as stronghold of Yadav family with Samajwadi Party winning comfortably in 2012 assembly polls. SP’s state president Shivpal Yadav himself is MLA from Jaswant Nagar seat in Etawah while SP’s reigns in Etawah, Mainpuri, Kannauj, Aurraiyah, Etah, Kasganj Farrukhabad, Feroizabad and few more districts.
These districts also have good population of Yadavs who are considered as traditional voters of SP. But not to be overlooked these seats also have large number of Brahmin voters who can swing the mood in favour of BJP. For micro management in these seats BJP has deputed former MP Brijesh Pathak who was the Brahmin face of BSP before joining BJP. It is reported that Pathak was instrumental in organizing a successful rally of Amit Shah galvanizing the Brahmins of the region.
Successful rally of Amit Shah has set the alarm bell ringing in SP camp. The rally was in Etawah and BJP has made its presence felt, SP is already fresh from the humiliating defeat in 2014 Lok Sabha polls when PM Narendra Modi had addressed an election rally in Bharthana, Etawah and people overlooked the appeal of Mulayam Singh Yadav in Etawah and supported BJP defeating SP from Etawah. A similar result cannot be totally ignored.
Cornering Mulayam in his home turf is poll strategy of BJP. It will put pressure on the Yadav satrap who will have to make the extra effort to retain his fiefdom. Any defeat of SP in the region will send message across the country that Mulayam’s fortress is crumbling.
Though SP has tried to put a brave face by stating Shah’s claim during rally that UP has not seen development does not hold ground as the helipad where he landed and the stage where he addressed rally were constructed by SP government. Shah however struck another chord that land grabbing is rampant in SP regime and even blamed SP’s top leaders.
Blame game will be there and charges will be traded but BJP’s offensive in Mulayam’s home turf will surely give sleepless nights to SP in coming days.