BJP to chip off Akhilesh's image as performing CM

With the SP-Congress alliance sealed, the BJP gets to chip off Akilesh Yadav's image as a performing chief minister through campaign slogans that draw focus on scams, riots and crime against women in the last five years of his tenure.

The party's move comes from the realisation that it needs to target Akhilesh's good image which is the anchor of the SP-Congress alliance politics in UP, besides pitching for development agenda before the electorate.

There is also a realisation among a section of the party leaders to refrain from aggressively attacking Akhilesh as a similar attempt against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during the Assembly elections there had backfired.

The BJP's latest slogan “Nahi chahiye aise sarkar (Don’t need such a government)”, targets the perception Akhilesh has managed to create as an administrator by asking probing questions.

The topics have been chosen to correlate with different voter segments and regions of the state. For instance, one catchword flags exodus of youth from the state in search of jobs – which is an attempt to checkmate his perceived traction among young voters.

Riot politics
A bunch of one-liners are aimed at western Uttar Pradesh which will go to polls in the first two phases on February 11 and 15. “Why Hindu families fled from Kairana out of fear?” is a loaded expression hinting at the communal divide in Western Uttar Pradesh post riots.

In this series, another slogan seeks answer from the SP government on “1000 riots that took place” during their  regime. BJP general secretary Arun Singh, who is the architect behind the campaign publicity, said the alliance between the two was that of a party (SP) representing goonda raj and another (Congress) that signifies corruption.

Akhilesh says he got Agra-Lucknow highway made but what about the pathetic conditions of roads in rural areas of the state, Singh wondered.

The BJP is seeking vote for change with tagline “Parivartan Layenge, Kamal Khilenge”.
DH News Service