HVK Archives: Like Delhi, Like Lucknow?
Like Delhi, Like Lucknow? - The Economic Times
Editorial
()
11 October 1996
Title : Like Delhi, like Lucknow?
Author : Editorial
Publication : The Economic Times
Date : October 11, 1996
Uttar Pradesh has demolished several myths about Indian
politics today. One, in a triangular contest, the BJP
would come up resounding victors. Actual performance
shows that the committed saffron voter is spread thinner
on the ground than expected. Two, the Congress-BSP
alliance would restore the Grand Old Party's past popu-
larity with the wretched of the earth. The wretched of
UP come in different caste and community configurations,
and the Congress' appeal no longer works for all. The
BSP is narrowly positioned anyway, and it was silly to
assume that the alliance would make up for the loss of
Muslim support after 1992, by drawing in Dalits instead.
Three, that the Samajwadi Party-led third front was a
spent force - it clearly is not. The lesson is simple.
It is impossible for any of these configurations to be
all things to all people in a post Mandal-Masjid UP.
Caste and communal identities are sharpened beyond recog-
nition, and the voter today has very focussed preferenc-
es. In the jargon of political economists, it is likely
that only niche politicians and parties will survive into
tomorrow. In that respect, the UF government at the
Centre mirrors the future of Indian politics, in all its
splendid diversity.
In a political culture where self-respecting horses take
serious objection to figures of speech that conjoin them
with commerce and politicians, the way the governor
behaves is extremely important. Whomsoever he calls upon
to form the government gets an upper hand in cobbling
together a majority. Misuse of office to build up sup-
port needs to be prevented. The governor should invite
someone to form the government only after ascertaining
that the person enjoys a majority. He can call upon the
House to elect a leader within a stipulated period or
judge for himself the support enjoyed by different chief
ministerial aspirants. Individual animosities notwith-
standing, the three minority groups will have to recom-
bine and yield a majority. BSP supremo Kanshi Ram's
declaration that the party spurns the BJP's support puts
the onus of accommodation on the United Front, more
specifically on Mr Mulayam Singh.
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