The forthcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will decide the political stature of the incumbent Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath within his party besides deciding the future of Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and BSP supremo Mayawati.
The polls are crucial for Adityanath, especially as he virtually "forced" the BJP high command to continue with him as CM despite there being strong voices of dissent within the saffron party's state unit against his style of functioning and the demand to replace him ahead of the polls.
Adityanath not only prevailed in the "internal tussle" within his party but had also been able to thwart the central leadership's plan to "foist" an ex-bureaucrat, who was considered to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a deputy chief minister in the state.
A strong votary of 'hardcore Hindutva', saffron-clad Adityanath, despite all the claims of development of the state during his tenure, had to face flak for alleged mismanagement during the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, rising incidents of attacks on Dalits and his handling of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which four farmers were killed after being run over by a vehicle allegedly driven by union minister Ajay Mishra's son.
The BJP leaders said that the forthcoming polls would "test" Adityanath, who, in some quarters, was tipped to be the successor of Modi, and decide his stature within the BJP. "A good showing in the polls will definitely strengthen his position and he may emerge as a challenger to Modi," said a state BJP leader while speaking to DH.
The polls will also be an acid test of SP president Akhilesh Yadav and will decide if he inherits the legacy of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav in the true sense. "In 2012, Akhilesh was given the post of CM on a platter by his father... his party witnessed its worst performance in 2017... This year will decide if he will be able to revive SP's electoral fortunes... another bad performance may prove politically disastrous for him," remarked an SP leader in Lucknow.
Also read: UP Polls: Minority votes for a majority
The polls would also be crucial for Mayawati, whose party witnessed large scale desertions and expulsions in the past few years. Of the 19 MLAs' who had won in the 2017 Assembly elections, as many as 16, including several senior leaders, either left her or were expelled and joined rival parties. Mayawati has also confined herself to releasing statements on social media and has not ventured out of her home since October last year.
Political experts say that the polls will decide if her hold on her core vote, comprising the 'Jatavs', remains intact. "Another poor showing in the polls may well push her party on the fringe," said a Lucknow based political analyst.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is another leader, whose political future would be decided in the upcoming state polls. She has been active in the state for the past several months and also addressed public meetings in BJP bastions of Varanasi and Gorakhpur besides hitting the streets on issues of public interest.
Even her detractors admit that Priyanka has been able to enthuse Congress workers to some extent. However, a near absence of party organisation at the grass-root level may hinder her efforts to revive the electoral fortunes of the grand old party. State Congress leaders say that even an average showing in the polls will firmly establish Priyanka in the party.
Check out latest videos from DH:
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels | Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks