The Samajwadi-Congress pre-election tie-up is proving to be a gamechanger, with rivals BJP and BSP playing catch-up.
Barely a month ago, the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections seemed like a cakewalk for the Bharatiya Janata Party, which was riding high after its ‘strong’ response to the Uri attack in September and the avowedly ‘pro-poor’ move to demonetise currency in November. The Samajwadi Party, in contrast, appeared on the verge of a split, with the young UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav embroiled in a battle with his uncle Shivpal Yadav and father Mulayam Singh Yadav. The Congress seemed clueless after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s khat sabha came to an abrupt end.
Then came the SP-Congress alliance in January, and the electoral wind changed direction completely. A classic game changer, the alliance began dictating the campaign, with the BSP and BJP reduced to playing catch-up and scrambling for ways to counter the alliance.
Polls in UP have for a long time now been four-cornered contests, which this pre-poll alliance has altered. In the past, parties would win polls with less than 30 per cent of the vote. The SP, for example, swept UP in 2012, winning 224 of the 403 seats, with only 29 per cent of the votes, just three percentage points more than the runner-up, Bahujan Samaj Party. In 2017, the minimum threshold would end up being over a third of the total vote, in the range of 35 per cent, for any party or combine to get a majority. The alliance has a higher chance of reaching that threshold than any individual party, unless there is a strong wave in its favour. And given that the fervour for Modi is not as strong as it was in 2014, it will possibly work to the alliance’s advantage in 2017.
VIEW FROM THE GROUND
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 27, 2017 من India Today.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 27, 2017 من India Today.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
ARTS AND THE MAN
In his centenary year, F.N. Souza: The Archetypal Artist tries to make sense of the recurring themes in the artist’s work
The Reluctant Art Critic
Advertising executive, art critic and possible catalyst of the modern Indian art movement, Rudolf von Leyden was an intriguing figure in pre-Independence Bombay
PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST & POET
ANINDYO ROY’S THE VICEROY’S ARTIST IS A FICTIONALISED ACCOUNT OF EDWARD LEAR’S TRAVELS IN INDIA
Lady of the Light
This artist has transformed the humble bulb into a thing of beauty
S'more to Think Of
Called Marshmallow, this penthouse in Gurgaon with soft curves and plush aesthetics stays true to its name
A Marvelous Melange
From stylish living quarters to multipurpose adaptive space, this home in Mumbai turns every nook into a showstopper
TECH MEETS TEXTURE
Smart fabrics and intelligent textiles are changing the way we view home furnishings
Refresh and Revive
That old table, those cabinets or even the console can be given a new lease of life, one that is tailor-made to the latest trends
Standout Spaces
Want dramatic interiors but don’t know how? This home in Mumbai becomes a lesson in learning the nuances of adding magic inside.
Vernacular Wise
Forget international brands and design, the beauty and simplicity of local materials and ancient techniques is gaining momentum