The BSP did not issue a party manifesto; it reasons that the ideology of Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram is its manifesto. But Mayawati has charged Mulayam Singh with being a modern-day Kans and appealed to people to return her to power, like a modern-day Krishna, to end his misrule. The party is convincing its vote bank that its ‘inclusionary politics’ is designed to win a clear majority. Its focus is on winning over Brahmins and the upper castes; it projects its symbol, the elephant, as “haathi nahi Ganesh hai, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh hai”.

The BJP’s arguments emphasise ‘nationalism’ and ‘development’. The manifesto talks of Hindutva, law and order, Vande Mataram in schools, modernising madrassa education, bringing in a POTA-like law. It also promises to control price rise, provide women 20 per cent reservation in government jobs and 50 per cent in panchayats and municipalities, waive loans and provide jobs to the families of farmers who committed suicide in Bundelkhand. The party’s projected CM, Kalyan Singh, charged the Congress, SP and BSP with indulging in Muslim appeasement, and held them responsible for the spread of the SIMI networks.

The Congress promotes Rahul Gandhi. The party promises a better UP with 10 per cent reservation to poor upper castes, and reservations for most backwards. The party cautions Muslims against the parties (read UDF/PDF) floated by Muslim clerics. Rahul Gandhi started on slippery ground with his claims on the Babri Masjid demolition, but later spoke of broader issues. He claimed that UP is where the Congress left it 15 years ago. How can those who did nothing in the last 15 years claim they can do something in the next five, he asked.

... contd.