Opinion: From faces to issues, voters expressed their feelings, understand what is going to happen in ‘Mahabali of Lok Sabha’ UP?

Author: Abhijit Ghosh
The glow of caste: The everyday struggles of life and livelihood – food, clothing and employment – ​​are an integral part of every election discussion in eastern and western UP. But caste and community remain central in the election discussion. Broadly speaking, the social alliances of BJP (upper castes + non-Yadav OBCs like Patels, Nishads and others) and Samajwadi Party (Yadavs + Muslims) remain intact. SP’s ally Congress brings foresight and a certain assurance to this combination in urban constituencies. BSP is still the party of choice for most Dalits, but a section of non-Jatav Dalits may migrate.Daughters are safe: Deepak Mishra is a cab driver and Modi supporter. he/she lives on the outskirts of Allahabad. The father of four daughters, two of whom are in their teens, says ‘law and order’ has improved during the Modi-Yogi rule. For her and many like her, ‘law and order’ is synonymous with women’s safety in their daily lives. Shamim, a fruit vendor from Ghaziabad, criticizes the Centre’s new law on citizenship and says uneasily that the only positive thing about the regime in recent years is that ‘daughters are safe.’ Law and order is a state subject. The public does not discriminate in praising the law and order established in the state. People are directly experiencing the strong security system.


Temple flags everywhere but… : Till a long time ago, flying party flags on rooftops was a common practice in UP. BJP flags were dominant in the towns, but this reduced as we moved towards mofussil, town and villages, where SP and BSP flags were flying in abundance. Now the party flags have disappeared. Ram temple and Hanuman flags of various types are most visible even in the homes of non-BJP Hindu voters. Ayodhya Ram temple has earned a lot of goodwill for the BJP, but religion is not the main issue of discussion among the people.

Fascinated by free grains: Of all the schemes of the NDA government, 5 kg free grain per person appeared to be the most effective and far-reaching. Irrespective of caste or community, most of the people we spoke to in remote areas agreed that they had received free food grains. The needy greatly appreciated the government for this.

Modi brand is intact but… : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is still at the center of election debates. There is no discussion of BJP or its candidates anywhere. It seems that the party has become secondary to the leader. Yadav is mostly devoted to SP. But Manu Yadav, a railway porter from Varanasi, says he/she will vote for the Prime Minister. he/she asks about the opposition alliance, ‘There should be one head of the house. Who is the head of their house? Even those who are not voting for Modi appreciate him/her. Jai Singh Yadav, a voter from Chandauli Lok Sabha constituency, says, ‘It is difficult to find a person like Modi, but I will vote for SP to help form a strong opposition.’

Supporters believe that Modi has enhanced India’s prestige (Rashtra Samman) abroad and protected the national interest (Rashtra Hit). But some people also feel that Modi has done more publicity than work. They feel that brand Modi is getting discounted. Santosh Singh, a voter from Chandauli, says, ‘They can be redeemed in 2024, but not in 2029.’

Yogi’s fame is spreading: Former soldier Pawan Sharma from Ghaziabad traveled to Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat last month. he/she found that people are associating UP with ‘Yogi’ and asking, ‘Have you come from Yogi’s place?’ It does not happen often that a state becomes known by the name of its CM only in the second term. Sharma found that Yogi’s name had spread beyond his/her state also.

Akhilesh, Rahul’s stature increased: The perception of both Rahul and Akhilesh among voters and supporters has definitely improved. Congress has placed special focus on unemployment in the message of its manifesto. It has made a positive impact on a section of the urban youth. Unemployment is a big issue and for most people ’employment’ means a government job.

Will you send ED: It was a common saying for journalists covering elections to ‘ask more’. This saying has now disappeared. People of every community still speak openly. But villagers often ask that their names be kept secret. One of them jokingly asks, ‘Why do you want to know my name?’ Do you want to send ED after me?’ It is interesting how the term ‘ED’ has seeped into the vocabulary and psychology of India’s hinterland, just as Bofors did four decades ago.

Doubts remain on EVMs: There was a heated debate on EVMs before the elections. The Supreme Court ruled out any problem with EVMs. After this the noise regarding the stigma on EVMs subsided. But, doubts remain about the integrity and weakness of EVMs among non-BJP voters in both rural and urban areas. The desire for ballot papers is very strong, while the memories of those days when ballot papers were regularly looted, thrown in drains and rivers are completely missing.

We will press NOTA: On the other side of the river in Prayagraj, a group of students are preparing for competitive exams. They don’t want to talk about student elections. One of them said, ‘We don’t like politics. There is no use of this. When asked, ‘Will you vote?’ he/she said, ‘I will give. But NOTA.