Upper caste voters and Muslims set to dominate Uttar Pradesh civic elections

Lucknow: As the campaigning for the first phase of polling for the civic elections in Uttar Pradesh ended on Tuesday, the upper caste voters are set to dominate the elections as they are in the majority in all 17 municipal corporations. However, the Muslim vote is also expected to play a significant role in the elections.

Political parties are vying for the attention of Muslim voters, with the traditionally pro-Hindu BJP fielding 367 Muslim candidates for councilor positions in municipal corporations and candidates for the post of President in Nagar Panchayat. The BSP has given tickets to 64 per cent of Muslim candidates, while the SP has given tickets to 23 per cent. The initial indications suggest that Muslims this time have started deserting SP and are aligning with BSP and Congress because there is a feeling among members of the minority community that Akhilesh Yadav did not take up the Atiq issue effectively.

The urban local body elections election covers about 150 assembly seats, making it the semi-final before a crucial Lok Sabha elections of 2024. The BJP’s prestige is at stake, as urban areas have traditionally been its strongholds. The party is focusing on women voters, as 37 per cent of the seats are reserved for women. The BJP has also put the Mahila Morcha on the ground for work and is organising ‘Sahbhoj’ for women, including Muslim and Dalit women, to connect them with the party. In the municipality and town panchayat seats, where 20 per cent of the seats are Muslim-dominated, the BJP faces a tough challenge. “The party is looking for a new formula to win these seats, with a special focus on Pasmanda Muslims,” said BJP state vice-president Vijay Bahadur Pathak.

In the last civic elections, the SP did not win any mayor seat but was successful in winning the elections for the posts of Chairman and the Nagar Panchayat President. This time, Yadav is working on the formula of Muslim-Yadav and Dalit by stitching a new social combination. The results of these elections will be closely watched by political observers as they could have an impact on the national political scene.

As the ruling BJP is leaving no stone unturned to reach out to voters, the opposition parties — Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress — are missing from the poll campaign. The SP’s campaign is limited to social media, while BSP chief Mayawati had already announced that she will not campaign in the urban local bodies polls. The BSP’s campaign is being led by individual candidates and local party units working mostly on their own. The Aam Aadmi Party, is also missing from the action, limiting its campaign to holding press conferences and levelling allegations against the Yogi Adityanath government. The BJP campaign, on the other hand, has gained momentum with top leaders holding rallies across the state.