LUCKNOW: Noted economist Jean Dreze has compared Modi government’s demonetisation move to shooting the tyres of a racing car. While this could be debatable, there is one impact of the ban which is beyond debate—It has punctured the election juggernaut of UP political parties.
While the poll campaign of parties such as SP, BSP and Congress has hit the retardation button, the BJP seems to be taking a head start. Its leaders, PM Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah are holding rallies with vengeance and its Parivartan Yatras with catchy Kailsah Kher ditties having covered half the state. So far so good.
Despite a ‘positive’ outcome in the recently held bypolls under the shadow of demonetisation aftermath and Modi App survey giving 90 per cent feedback in favour of the Centre’s move, the BJP cadre in the state faces the real challenge now as initial zeal of ‘let’s do it for our country’ fades and the cash crunch now has started pinching the common man, especially BJP’s core voters—businessmen, working class and rural voter who extended their support to Modi in 2014.
Farmers are facing the cash crunch at the onset of rabi season. They don’t have money to buy seeds and fertilisers with just 10 days of sowing period left. Their plight has compounded with cooperative banks being disallowed by the RBI to carry out transactions. Besides, the queues before ATMs and banks, especially, in rural areas are not shortening. Spirits in the wedding season are as such dampened.
People have money but can’t spend. So either the dates are being rescheduled or the show is being managed on credit. “The move is exemplary. But the execution is faulty as it has put the common man in a tricky situation. Even after over a fortnight, the situation continues to be grim with people grappling
to manage the daily grind with limited amounts withdrawn,” says political commentator J P Shukla.
In such a scenario, the main concern of the BJP, which is aware of the people’s pain and agony, is to pacify the restless voters and stop the negative sentiment gaining ground over the issue. “There may be some initial negative fallout of the step. But even the public is cooperating. They are bearing the initial pain to reap the long-run benefit. Demonetisation will whip out black money and tab fake currency,” said senior BJP leader Dr Rita Bahuguna Joshi. “In six months from now, the positive impact of the move would be seen on the Indian economy,” she added.
While getting itself ready to tackle some stingy questions from the electorate, the BJP cadre just hopes that the disarray in rivals’ houses will come to help it. Samajwadi Party is still grappling with its ongoing battle of nerves in the family, BSP chief Mayawati, who is holding the command herself, has yet to intensify party’s campaign. Left with only S C Mishra and Naseemuddin Siddiqui as senior leaders, BSP is treading a steady path with only small caste-based meetings. Congress on the other hand has been left far behind. Even though Congress leaders are sharpening their attacks on the Modi government in Parliament, the party’s presence on the ground is negligible. After Rahul’s Sandesh Yatra, there is no buzz. State BJP leaders on the other hand are preparing to play up demonetisation move as a major poll plank and seeking people’s support in the war on black money. They are trying to convince people for the far reaching positive impact of sudden currency scrapping. This all, needless to say, is now part of the discourse of the Parivartan Yatra.
BJP’s chief spokesperson Hriday Narain Dixit said, “Party’s Parivartan Yatra has already covered 7,169 km across 34 districts and 164 assembly constituencies.” As part of our mass contact programme, party leaders have connected with over 35-40 lakh people through meetings exhorting the people to bring about social, political and economic change in the state through their vote,” he added. However, the party is reworking its strategy vis-a-vis situation which has cropped up after demonetisation. Reports say, thanks to cash crunch, preparations for Modi’s Agra rally on November 20 had been done on credit.
Besides, his rally in the state capital on December 24 on the culmination of first leg of Parivartan Yatras has been put off, he may now hold a maha rally on January 3, 2017 after deposition deadline of high value currency notes ends on December 30. “He is expected to make some bigger announcements in Lucknow,” a party leader said.