If Narendra Modi is called India’s ‘great polarizer’ then his trusted lieutenant Amit Shah is ‘Uttar Pradesh’s polarizer’. The battle for the crown in Delhi will be fought in the dusty plains of Uttar Pradesh.
By giving the reigns of UP’s electoral campaign to Shah, Modi and the BJP leadership had made its game plan clear — to revive Ram Janmabhoomi politics in the State as Modi gears up to pursue an unabashed Hindu agenda.
Uttar Pradesh, with 80 Lok Sabha seats, is important for the BJP in 2014; Shah’s performance in the State is crucial for Modi after general polls.
Addressing a gathering of Hindu sadhus in Ayodhya on Saturday after offering prayers at the makeshift Ram temple on the disputed site, Shah promised to build the Ram temple.
His posture was a calculated mix of good governance and aggressive Hindutva, which he along with his mentor Modi have come to represent.
“I came to visit the Ram temple which is a centre of faith for crores of Hindus from around the world. After worshipping here, I have prayed that good governance is established in the country and the nation gets rid of the Congress. I have also prayed that together we build a grand Ram temple here as soon as possible and restore Lord Ram to his rightful place,” said the 49-year-old former stock broker, who is fighting for the Hindu vote share from UP on his boss’ behalf. The thrust of his argument reflects his ideology: in Ayodhya, Shah attacked the ruling Samajwadi Party for promising quota to the Muslims. He said this would eat up the OBC quota of the Hindu OBCs.
Ironically, Shah’s actions in UP seems to signal Modi’s break with the BJP’s past. In his speech, Shah did not name Atal Bihari Vajpayee or L K Advani even once — an omission that is a habit. When he had visited Lucknow — Vajpayee’s consitutency — on May 26, he dropped both leaders from his speeches, preferring to focus on Modi.
This time, the posters and banners in the temple town signalled the shift: they only featured Rajnath Singh, Modi and Amit Shah; Vajpayee and Advani were missing. However, Shah’s popularity in UP is not guaranteed — at his meetings, the BJP cadre is not present in full force.