The Hindu : Will it be smooth sailing for Uma Bharti?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 08, 2003

National

National

Will it be smooth sailing for Uma Bharti?

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI APRIL 7. Chosen by the Bharatiya Janata Party to `lead' its election campaign in Madhya Pradesh and projected as the chief ministerial candidate, Uma Bharti is shy of committing herself to contesting the Assembly polls scheduled later this year. ``The leadership will decide,'' she said to questions from a few correspondents in Indore last weekend where she had come to attend the party conclave.

An indication that the leadership issue may not be smooth sailing for her came from the BJP State president, Kailash Joshi, who pointed out that ``the party had not yet declared Umaji as the Chief Ministerial candidate''. If the leadership decided, it might do so at any time, he conceded. But the elections were being fought under her leadership, he added.

In 1999, much against the wishes of the then BJP strongman of Madhya Pradesh, Kushabhau Thakre, Ms. Bharti had changed her constituency from Khajuraho to Bhopal, clearly because she feared that re-election from her old constituency would not be an easy task.

The reason was simple. Slowly, but surely, the Bahujan Samaj Party had been making inroads into the BJP's support base, not only among the Dalits, but also the most backward castes who were once part of the BJP's electoral base and that of Ms. Bharti who herself belongs to a backward caste.

When the BJP entered into a coalition partnership with the BSP in Uttar Pradesh, it was keen that the new friendship be expanded to include an alliance in Madhya Pradesh. But it seems that may not happen for the BSP leader, Mayawati, has announced that she would have no truck with the BJP in Madhya Pradesh and that her understanding with the BJP was confined to Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP then had no option but to announce, as it has now done, that it would ``go it alone'' in Madhya Pradesh (as also in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Delhi). But it seems Ms. Bharti has not yet given up hope, for an alliance will certainly make her task of destabilising the well-entrenched Congress Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, that much easier.

``We do not want an alliance with the BSP but the issue is open, an issue which the central leadership can decide by July or August,'' she said, adding generously, ``if the central leadership wants the alliance the State leaders will certainly consider.''

It seems that the BJP has not yet made up its mind whether to use Hindutva to the hilt or focus on development issues. Confused signals came from Ms. Bharti.

She indicated that her party ``will not allow'' Mr. Singh, to distract people from the issues of roads, water, electricity, and development issues will be the main plank of the BJP.

At the same time, she warned that ``cow slaughter could become the main issue.'' Although the State had a law banning it, her charge was that the Chief Minister was not implementing the law.

``In fact, I would like to make corruption the main issue — bad roads, lack of drinking water and electricity finally are linked to corruption,'' Ms. Bharti said.

The Bhojshala issue, which has been figuring prominently in newspapers, was an ``emotional one at the State level'' but participation in the agitation had been restricted to the district level. In short, the party has already come to the conclusion that it cannot give rich electoral dividends.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National