Will Rajnath Singh maintain BJP’s winning streak in Lucknow?
- Arijit Bose
- Apr 28, 2019
- 5 min read
Rajnath Singh contesting Lucknow seat Pic courtesy – HWNews
Not a cakewalk but also not a tough nut to crack is what journalists say about Rajnath Singh retaining his hold over the Lucknow constituency, which has stayed with the BJP since 1991.
In the heat and dust of 2019, as India sees its general election, it is perhaps for the first time that a PM is contesting for becoming MP from the Varanasi constituency. On the other hand the Home Minister, Rajnath Singh is locking horns with his opponents for winning the Lucknow seat as MP yet again.
Lucknow is a constituency that has had a strong connect with the BJP. The main reason being, it has had as its representative ex PM Atal Behari Vajpayee for five times between 1991 and 2009. While Lalji Tandon too served one term as MP, it is that Atal legacy that has cut much ice with the voter of Lucknow say senior journalists. They go on to add that the current MP, Rajnath Singh has a fair chance of winning this time as well for the reason that he is all encompassing and has acceptability across communities and is not seen as a hardliner.
Journalists who have extensively covered politics feel that Rajnath Singh has devoted time and his connect and grasp on local issues is what is crucial to note.
As Lucknow gears up for polls on May 6 in the fifth phase, names of the likes of Jitin Prasada of the Congress and Shatrughan Sinha’s wife, Poonam Sinha being fielded by the SP+BSP had been part of the buzz. While Prasada was supposed to start campaign by March 30, the Congress has now fielded Acharya Pramod. Prasada has reportedly opted for newly formed Dhaurahra constituency. Meanwhile the SP – BSP combine has fielded Poonam Sinha.
As someone who has extensively written about UP’s political scenario and a respected voice on national television, veteran journalist, Ratan Mani Lal says, “ As an ex president of the BJP and now the Home Minister of India, Rajnath Singh has been able to create an image, where he is not seen as a hardliner and has maintained that moderate streak. His soft approach has earned him several admirers. Having maintained a certain decorum, he has always been able to keep it low and has never done anything in public which might dent his image.”
Statistics suggest that over 26 per cent of Lucknow’s population are Muslims. In recent weeks, ex Congressman Dr Ammar Rizvi has pledged support to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. He urged the Shia community to vote for Rajnath Singh. Reportedly nearly a third of the Muslim voters are Shias, and they have pledged support to the BJP. Ask Lal why, he explains, “Across communities he has been able to get acceptance and he gels well with the masses, which is a tremendous plus in his favour. Having been to Lucknow once a month, he has been meeting all communities including the Sikhs, Shias and Sunnis. So it is difficult for the opposition to term him as a pro Hindutva person, since he is all encompassing.”
While UP Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma was recently quoted as saying that Lucknow seat will be a cakewalk for Rajnath, journalists like Ratan Mani Lal explain why even though not a cakewalk, the Union Minister definitely has an edge. He says, “Any other contender from outside will not be able to guage the public mood and their issues. To be specific – as a representative it is critical that you talk development, have a vision about how you evolve your constituency and keeping an eye on the skyline. For the opposition, the best bet to make significant impact this time in Lucknow would be to ensure the victory margin is reduced significantly.”
Bureau chief of Hardnews Magazine, Pradeep Kapoor adds there is also a trend of match fixing in politics that one cannot deny.
He says, “Rajnath Singh stands out in the Lucknow constituency, even this time in 2019, because he is not someone who represents Hardcore Hindutva. For now there are no contenders taking on Rajnath Singh, but even if someone does, it will only help Rajnath win in the long run. Take for example Samajwadi Party’s Ashok Bajpai, an old Mulayam Singh Yadav associate, who in 2014 was replaced with Abhishek Mishra within minutes giving Rajnath Singh an edge. Imagine Bajpai going to campaign and someone informing him he is no longer candidate. Irrespective of political parties, such things are common, one must remember how in 1991, Atal Behari Vajpayee took on a lesser known name like Ranjeet Singh and won. Similarly Balraj Pasi was fielded against ND Tiwari in Nainital. Things did not go in Tiwari’s favour with him losing by a margin of 5000 votes. Congress then elected PV Narasimha Rao as its Prime Ministerial candidate.”
As per reports about a half a dozen opposition candidates who were approached by the SP and the Congress have backed out from the contest.
Lucknow has predominantly seen mature politicians take charge as MP like Sheila Kaul, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna, Atal Behari Vajpayee, Lalji Tandon and Vijay Lakshmi Pundit to name a few. Rajnath Singh has been able to maintain a profile and presence unlike any other say journalists in unison. For the likes of SP, BSP and Congress it will be highly difficult to find someone who is not just representing a specific community, says Ratan Mani Lal.
Adding to this, senior journalist, Ajit Chak says, “Rajnath will win as a BJP candidate for the simple reason that he represents the BJP and secondly he is the torchbearer of the Atal legacy. It has always been a prestigious seat for the BJP. He however could have done much better. I believe that he has not dedicated ample time to his constituency. Lucknow remains on the list of most polluted, from the civic point of view – encroachment problem continues to plague the city, illegal land has repeatedly been brought to light and poor town planning are things that should have been addressed. Unfortunately much to the dismay of the voter, he has not made things happen on ground.”
The Lucknow seat has been with the BJP since 1991 when late Atal Behari Vajpayee won.
The voter on ground recalls the glorious Atal days with much pride given that Vajpayee got elected to Lok Sabha from Lucknow in 1991,1996,1998, 1999 and 2004.
The current MP Rajnath Singh has been vocal about how Atal Behari Vajpayee set the ball rolling on development work in the city. A legacy that he claims was efficiently carried forward by Lalji Tandon.
From the Shaheed Path in Lucknow to transforming the cities urban landscape, the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation-AMRUT has left an imprint on the city.
Vajpayee is also remembered for contributing for the city from the MPs area development fund.
He contributed without credits.
He was a dedicated invisible messiah for the poor, labourers and the homeless.
He is also recalled for his efforts to restore the prisitine grandeur of the Gomti river.
It is no surprise that given the importance of the constituency, the current PM, Narendra Damodardas Modi, then a candidate, had said in 2014 – “If you have to change the fortunes of India, it must begin in Lucknow.”
Rajnath Singh in the 2014 general elections defeated Rita Bahuguna Joshi then in the Congress with a total of 10,06,483 votes.
Hailing from the Hindi heartland, Rajnath Singh has been able to procure tickets for a significant number of his loyalists this time.
As India votes in seven phases in this general election, Lucknow will vote in the fifth phase on May 6. India will see the results being declared on May 23.
Note – A shorter version of this piece has been published in The Lucknow Tribune
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