BJP, SP-Congress flex muscles through roadshows, but Mayawati still occupies people’s mind

ALLAHABAD: Ahead of Phase-IV elections in Uttar Pradesh, both the BJP and the SP-Congress alliance flexed their muscles in Allahabad on Tuesday. BJP chief Amit Shah, and SP president Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi conducted simultaneous roadshows in the sacred city.

The roadshows of the BJP and SP-Congress — less than a kilometre apart — set the mood for the day. While the SP-Congress show started from the Nehru residence at Anand Bhawan on an 8-km route down to the Gol Park, Shah invoked nationalism with a floral tribute to the freedom fighter at the eponymous Chandra Shekhar Azad Park. He held his roadshow from Allahpur to Ghantagarh, across some 5 km.

Allahabad, which has 12 seats, is crucial for all the parties. BJP’s national general secretary Siddharth Nath Singh is in the fray against SP’s Richa Singh — the first woman president of the Allahabad University Student Union — and BSP’s Pooja Pal.

The candidate selection was preceded by inter-party tiffs, including at Soraon, where both the Congress and SP fielded rival candidates until the former finally withdrew its nominee.

Setting rumours of rift to rest on Tuesday, the workers of SP and Congress marched ahead, putting up a united show. Anupriya Patel’s Anna Dal and BJP also had their differences over candidates on this seat.

On the ground though, the alliance managed to create quite a buzz. “The alliance is making enough noise, but noise is all they make. Ultimately, work has to be done, and I think BJP will do it because the PM is a doer,” said a sugarcane juice vendor.

This view was echoed by a girl who has just taken up her first job. “I think BJP will be able to help this state and city. The state party president also hails from here,” she said.

But not everyone was equally enthusiastic.

A 22-year-old, watching the roadshows from the sidelines, said he was disillusioned enough to abstain from voting. “Why should I vote for anyone? Which government did anything for me? I come from a Brahmin family which had to take to driving taxis in the Congress era. My older brother and I had to give up higher education and help out during BJP and SP’s tenure. For the person on the road, nothing changes. But let me tell you, the Brahmin has no choice now but to vote for the BJP,” he said.

A rickshaw puller from Allahabad, who had been voting for the BSP, said he was getting little swayed by the SP-Congress alliance. But a clerk in a state government office, however, reminded that BSP can’t be ignored. “Mark my words — she and BSP cannot be taken for granted,” he said.