LUCKNOW: Reasons abound for the appointment of Union Home Minister Amit Shah as the observer for the formation of a new government in Uttar Pradesh. Shah, BJP’s chief poll strategist, who has been shoring up the party’s poll prospects since 2014, has now become well versed with the political tone and tenor of UP. He has again been entrusted with drawing the roadmap for the second term of Yogi Adityanath government which will also serve as the template for ‘Mission 2024’.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi will be seeking the third consecutive term to office of Prime Minister. As per the highly placed BJP sources, Yogi’s new cabinet will take shape under the stewardship of Amit Shah who has been drawing the upward trajectory of the saffron brigade since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. After the resounding victory in the Lok Sabha polls, when the BJP grabbed 73 of 80 seats, Amit Shah took over as BJP national chief. In 2017, the party, then at number three position after SP and BSP in UP, fought the assembly elections following Shah’s strategy and registered an overwhelming victory.
In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP was pitched against the SP-Congress alliance followed by the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when it had the formidable challenge posed by SP-BSP grand alliance. Both in 2017 and 2019, the saffron brigade romped home with a colossal win.
“Amit Shah has now come to understand the political pulse of UP better than anyone else,” says a senior BJP leader explaining the role of UP observer which Shah has been given by the party parliamentary board. In fact, this time again, Amit Shah has a daunting task at hand to carve out UP cabinet 2.0 striking caste and regional balance in such a way so as to continue with high-paced development and delivery and equal representation to all.
Moreover, he has the challenge of accommodating the allies who have emerged stronger after the victory in recently concluded elections. BJP had two allies—Apna Dal (S), led by Anupriya Patel and NISHAD, led by Dr Sanjay Nishad. While Apna Dal (S) has won 12 of the 18 seats it contested while NISHAD won 06 of 10 seats it had contested on. Both the BJP allies will eye a fair share in the cabinet.
However, so far, the party has kept the cards close to its chest about the strength and probables of the UP cabinet. Moreover, the party will seek to consolidate its position further among the Jats and other castes in western UP where the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), led by Jayant Chaudhury, has seen a partial revival. The party would pay attention to give adequate representation to western UP in the Yogi cabinet as it needs to put extra effort to strengthen itself more after the defeat of prominent faces like Suresh Rana from Thanabhawan in Shamli and Sangeet Som from Sardhana in Meerut.