Described in Jawaharlal Nehru's Discovery of India as the heart of Hindustan, Uttar Pradesh continues to remain politically the most crucial part of the Hindi heartland. The BJP swept the state with 71 of 80 seats in 2014 (73 for its National Democratic Alliance) and 62 (64 for the NDA) in 2019. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the alliance would win all 80 seats this time.
Except in Uttar Pradesh, the NDA has hit the saturation point in the heartland. It has all 25 seats in Rajasthan, 28 of 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh, all five seats in Uttarakhand, 39 of 40 seats in Bihar, all 10 seats in Haryana, 12 of 14 seats in Jharkhand and nine of 11 seats in Chhattisgarh. No wonder, the BJP eyes Uttar Pradesh to improve its tally in the region.
More than anything else, the saffron brigade's advantage is the inherent weakness of the opposition. With the Bahujan Samaj Party widely seen as "surrendered" before threats from the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI, the Samajwadi Party remains the key opposition in Uttar Pradesh. The increasingly weakened position of the Congress is clear from the fact that the party is contesting from just 17 seats.
As the BJP plays up the Ram Temple card, the communal divide is quite evident in large parts of the state. But there is as much of a caste divide, which could upset the BJP applecart. "What has the government done for my community, except for giving free rations, to which everyone is entitled?" asked Radhey Lal, a dalit who had served as the village head in Dawoodnagar in Lucknow. Another dalit villager, Raja Ram, from Karora village a few kilometres away, said, "Whoever wins power will ensure the disbursement of free rations to us." Prime Minister Narendra Modi often reminds his audience about the welfare measures introduced by him, such as the annual grant of âč2,000 to every farmer, electricity connection to every home and gas cylinder under the Ujjwala scheme. But not everyone is impressed.
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Denne historien er fra May 05, 2024-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
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A golden girl
One of India's most formidable beauties passed away earlier this month. The odd thing is she would absolutely hate this obituary; she hated being written about and avoided publicity for all of her nine decades. Indira Aswani was 93 when she died. But anyone who encountered her, even briefly, was in such awe of her grace and poise, and one could not but remember her forever.
The interest in wine is growing delightfully in India
The renowned British wine writer and television presenter Jancis Robinson, 74, recently came to Delhi and Mumbai to reacquaint herself with India's wine industry. This was the Robinson's fourth visit to India; the last one was seven years ago. On this trip, Robinson and her husband, restaurateur Nicholas Lander, were hosted by the Taj Hotels and Sonal Holland, India's only Master of Wine.
United in the states
Indian-Americans coming together under the Democratic umbrella could get Harris over the line in key battlegrounds
COVER DRIVE
Usage-driven motor insurance policies offer several benefits
GDP as the only measure of progress is illogical
Dasho Karma Ura, one of the world's leading happiness experts, has guided Bhutan's unique gross national happiness (GNH) project. He uses empirical data to show that money cannot buy happiness in all circumstances, rather it is family and health that have the strongest positive effect on happiness. Excerpts from an interview:
India is not a controlling big brother
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay considers India a benevolent elder sibling as the \"big brotherly attitude\" is happily missing from bilateral ties. He thinks the relationship shared by the two countries has become a model of friendship not just for the region, but for the entire world. \"India's attitude is definitely not of a big brother who is controlling and does not allow the little brother to blossom and grow,\" says Tobgay in an exclusive interview with THE WEEK.
Comrade with no foes
Lal Salaam, Comrade Yechury-you were quite a guy!
Pinning down saffron
In her first political bout, Vinesh Phogat rides on the anti-BJP sentiment across Haryana
MAKE IN MANIPUR
Home-made rockets and weapons from across the border are escalating the conflict
SAHEB LOSES STEAM
Coalition dynamics and poor electoral prospects continue to diminish Ajit Pawar's political stock
