Coalitions dangerous says PM; Gathbandhan will continue: Akhilesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to be acknowledging the tough fight the SP-BSP-RLD Gathbandhan is giving the BJP in Uttar Pradesh when he asked people in Azamgarh on Thursday not to vote for a `khichri’ coalition because that would usher in anarchy and instability in the country.

Even BJP national president Amit Shah looked frustrated as he used tasteless rustic slang like `muh-nochwa’ to describe Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi in his rally in Sultanpur. .

In his almost 50 minute speech Modi concentrated on `gathbandhan’ of different shapes and sizes--while not uttering a word on the parties in the NDA coalition- and suggested that UP’s mahamilavati gathbandhan (adulterated alliance) would join hands with Congress led gathbandhan.

He said: “We have to be cautious of the Gathbandhan. These people have done nothing but destabilise Indian polity. Few years back there was an alliance and you know how corrupt it was.”

The reference was of course of Congress-led UPA government which was supported by Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party from the outside. In this election SP, BSP and RLD have formed an alliance in UP while Congress leads the UPA coalition of regional parties across the country.

Probably, Modi knows what is cooking in Uttar Pradesh and therefore delved on the disadvantages of khichari government in his speeches. Even the result of the last general elections shows that going will be very tough for the BJP in the coming phases. Elections for 27 constituencies will be held on May 12 and 19. As many as 14 of the constituencies will go to polls on Sunday.

In these 14 seats Mulayam Singh Yadav prevented a BJP clean sweep as he won election from Azamgarh in 2014. A close scrutiny shows that in all these 14 constituencies the vote share of SP and BSP combine was more than that of BJP. Only in Pratapgarh, from where BJP’s ally Apna Dal won the election, it polled more votes than SP-BSP combine.

The BJP knows that this time too the arithmetic is against them. The SP and BSP alliance is bound to get more votes. The political pundits even suggest that in 14 seats that are going to polls on May 12 the alliance may win anything between 8-10 seats because of unity of coalition parties. Therefore, the BJP seems to have changed its strategy. The Prime Minister in his speeches has also started talking about how Mayawati has taken Akhilesh for a ride. This was an attempt to drive a wedge in the coalition.

Akhilesh and Mayawati reacted fast to dispel any misgiving sending the message loud and clear that the coalition stands united.

“The coalition will last till we send the Baba back to the Math,” Akhilesh Yadav said at a rally in Dumariaganj while referring to Yogi Adityanath, signalling that the SP-BSP-RLD coalition would continue till the next Assembly election.