How BJP gains from Swati Singh's entry in UP polls
Finally, the dust has settled over the future of BJP's Dayashankar Singh, notorious for abusing BSP chief Mayawati. Swati Singh, Dayashankar's wife, has been appointed chief of BJP Mahila Morcha in Uttar Pradesh.
Contrary to reports, Dayashankar Singh will now act as a back-room strategist, helping his spouse whip up the frenzy of Thakur pride. And why not.
It was Dayashankar Singh's virulent outburst against Mayawati that sealed his fate. Dayashankar had called Mayawati "worse than a prostitute" and was sacked as the statement threatened to sink BJP's assiduously-built Dalit support base.
Will Swati Singh's presence help the BJP in UP?
There is almost a consensus among major political parties that the appointment will definitely help the saffron party in consolidating the kshatriya and few other upper caste votes in the 2017 Assembly elections.
When Dayashankar Singh was sacked for six years, his political future looked all but bleak, but fate willed it otherwise. BSP leaders, in their eagerness to impress party supremo Mayawati, got carried away and inflicted the same abuse on Dayashankar Singh's family - against whom they were protesting.
And Swati Singh seized the opportunity with both hands. The boldness with which she confronted the insult and her articulation in changing the narrative impressed many. Such was her fierce counterattack that not only was the BSP on the backfoot, but the BJP too was forced to see her as a potential vote aggregator of her caste.
Seeing the tables turned, the kshatriya community rallied around her and far from being a political pariah, she became a symbol of Rajput pride hurt at the hands of BSP. Such was her attack, that even the usually caustic Mayawati was forced to censure the BSP agitators protesting against Dayashankar's abusive comments.
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| Swati Singh will, in all likelihood, take on BSP supremo Mayawati. (PTI photo) |
A UP BJP leader said that there is a valid reason for the party to make Swati Singh the head of the women's wing, whereas not re-inducting Dayashankar is realpolitik.
"With great difficulty and luck of an elephant, we didn't suffer much damage in BSP'S effort in branding us as anti-Dalit. If we re-induct Dayashankar Singh, it will fester the wound and give BSP a handle to brand us as anti-Dalit," the leader said.
Another UP BJP leader said that inducting Singh would have been bad politics, but inducting his wife is political compulsion now. He says, "Forget Dayashankar, it is his wife who is the rising star. We see her consolidating a lot of Thakur votes, more than her husband." He further added that she is now a symbol of Thakur pride, which has been wronged.
It is not only BJP leaders but also BSP leaders who admit that inducting Swati Singh will help the saffron party. Refusing to speak officially on the matter, a BSP leader admitted that they [BSP] blew a politically watertight case against the BJP and there is no denying that Swati Singh's frontal attack on BSP leaders changed the "Behenji has been insulted by an upper caste" narrative to a long extent.
He further adds now it's role reversal - an upper caste has been insulted and this will definitely help in consolidation of upper caste votes in UP.
Post-surgical strikes, this is the second good news for the BJP ahead of the crucial UP election. A BJP leader said: "We will be telling the people of UP how it was the decisive '56-inch policy' of Modiji which has enhanced the prestige of the country and how in Swati Singh we have a Thakur women whose honour has to be avenged."
There is another aspect that has gone into the making of Swati Singh as the UP Mahila Morcha chief. She will most likely be pitted against BSP supremo Mayawati. The party feels that the way Swati has taken on her BSP tormentors, it can be effectively used to trouble Mayawati. The theme could be how Mayawati allowed her party colleagues to disparage the honour of a woman and never held them accountable.
Swati Singh's entry into UP politics has certainly spiced up the 2017 Assembly elections.