UTTAR Pradesh’s geographical size, immense demographic wealth and political significance make it a power-packed state. With 80 Lok Sabha seats and 403 Assembly seats, each party puts in a lot of effort to have a political edge. Policy decisions made at the Centre are often discussed in the power corridors of UP.
Over the past 30 years, there has been a four-way contest—between the Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Samajwadi Party (SP), and the BJP—to conquer UP. The BSP, the SP and the BJP have been trying to strengthen their hold in the state for years, right from when Mayawati was the chief minister in 2007 and when Akhilesh Yadav was ruling the state in 2012. In 2017, Yogi Adityanath became the chief minister of the state, and the BJP benefitted from it.
While the BJP managed to create the myth of ‘invincible Modi’ in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the bubble burst in the recent 2024 elections. Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav from the INDIA bloc stopped the BJP from reaching the magical number of 272 seats on its own. PM Modi himself won the Varanasi seat by a much smaller margin this time as compared to the 2019 elections.
What changed in UP in this election?
Since 2010, I have been researching on various communities in UP as part of my study on political and social formation in North India, not just during elections, but even otherwise. Students of social studies are not always in ‘election mode’. They quietly keep an eye on changing patterns of social realities, without asking any questions. This brings experience and depth, unlike exit polls that have immediacy—direct questions like who you voted for, why, and which community you belong to are asked. Thus, these polls can never capture the societal changes that happen very gradually.
Engaging with Communities
Denne historien er fra June 21, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
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Denne historien er fra June 21, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
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Layers Of Lear
Director Rajat Kapoor and actor Vinay Pathak's ode to Shakespeare is an experience to behold
Loss and Longing
Memories can be painful, but they also make life more meaningful
Suprabhatham Sub Judice
M.S. Subbulakshmi decided the fate of her memorials a long time ago
Fortress of Desire
A performance titled 'A Streetcart Named Desire', featuring Indian and international artists and performers, explored different desires through an unusual act on a full moon night at the Gwalior Fort
Of Hope and Hopelessness
The body appears as light in Payal Kapadia's film
Ruptured Lives
A visit to Bangladesh in 2010 shaped the author's novel, a sensitively sketched tale of migrants' struggles
The Big Book
The Big Book of Odia Literature is a groundbreaking work that provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the rich and varied literary traditions of Odisha
How to Refuse the Generous Thief
The poet uses all the available arsenal in English to write the most anti-colonial poetry
The Freedom Compartment
#traindiaries is a photo journal shot in the ladies coaches of Mumbai locals. It explores how women engage and familiarise themselves with spaces by building relationships with complete strangers
Love, Up in the Clouds
Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee
