BJP avoiding issues like unemployment and inflation in UP

Why the important issues like inflation, unemployment, and development are missing from the BJP's electoral agenda? Instead, the issues like Pakistan, Jinnah, Ram Mandir, Kashi Vishwanath Corridor Project, Hindus, and Muslims are hogging the limelight.

BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh with a thumping majority and gave the slogan of 'Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikas'. But that 'saath’ and 'vishwas’ is missing now. The BJP has nothing to tell about the work done during its five-year tenure or it is not sure whether people will vote on the development work done by them and therefore it has once again raised emotive issues like mandir, Pakistan, and Jinnah.

On the other hand, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is claiming that he enjoys the support of Dalits, backward classes and minorities.

The privatisation of government institutions has also left an impact on the masses in the state. “Agar sab privatise ho gaya to hamare ladko ko naukri kaise milegi. (If everything is privatised how will our boys get job),” asks Ratitam Mishra, a resident of Gonda who worked as an ad hoc employee in PWD.

He said if the government cannot give us jobs why should we vote for it.

The BJP is facing the ire of people for its failure to open employment opportunities at the center as well as in the state. In some cases, like in Railways, advertisements about vacancies were issued in 2019 but the posts have not been filled till now. This has led to resentment among the youth. In UP too, the selection process is so slow that the wait to get government jobs is agonizingly long. Therefore, protests have erupted across Uttar Pradesh over the lack of government initiative to provide them jobs.

Former IAS officer and President of a social organisation called Bahujan Bharat, Kunwar Fateh Bahadur says that the resentment among the candidates is natural due to the delay in finalising appointments to the vacant posts. “These youths work hard to get government jobs and if the selection process is delayed it is bound to increase resentment among them,” Singh said.

The retired bureaucrat claims that lakhs of government posts are lying vacant in the Center and UP but the government has taken no steps to open job avenues for the youth.

Despite such a grim situation, the irony is that this does not seem to be a major poll issue for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is talking about the unemployed and he is also talking about giving government jobs and permanent jobs in place of the contractual ones if his party comes to power. The Congress too is constantly highlighting the issue of unemployment, so much so that its manifesto for youth is called 'Bharti Vidhan' which is a vision document for providing employment to the youth of the state. But other parties are silent on this. The BJP for now, is trying hard to again shift the focus to polarisation. But it is difficult to sway people to their tunes this time, so it seems.