So, let us have a look at the contesting parties and their CM candidates for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections:
- Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) – Mayawati
- Congress (INC) – Sheila Dixit
- Samajwadi Party (SP) – Akhilesh Yadav
- Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) – CM candidate not announced yet
Now coming to their individual political persona:
Sheila Dixit has served as the Chief Minister of Delhi between 1998 and 2013. She has been a veteran leader of Congress and has vast political experience. But the due to innumerable scams during the reign of congress, people now find it difficult to trust any of their leaders. Congress has been known to have avoided taking strict actions even in alarming situations for the appeasement of minority. Moreover, Mrs. Sheila Dixit does not have dynamic and strong leadership traits which are required to administer a challenging state like UP. Her age (78) too, is a matter of concern. However, there might be some people, particularly from the senior age groups, who might prefer her being the CM considering her decades of administrative background.
Mayawati is the self-proclaimed messiah for the weaker sections of the society including the Dalits, OBC’s and other minorities. She has been constantly promoting herself as the 'Dalit ki Beti' and fulfilled all her wishes of building memorials in her name and cutting cakes worth crores on her birthdays. She certainly has a very strong voter base from specific communities, but her caste based politics had already ousted her in the previous assembly elections and during this 5 years, people have become more advanced than before. A lot of key members have left her party and many are bound to leave very soon. Her dictator attitude and the thirst for godly recognition does not go well in a democratic country like India. If people chose a leader who openly opposes modernization and digitalization, there is nothing left to their fate.
As far as the currently ruling Samajwadi Party is concerned, which is being headed by UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, He has repeatedly stressed on the agenda of development for the upcoming elections. He has a huge fan following among the younger generation of voters. Keeping aside the caste based calculations which other parties are focussing on, no other leader has a mass appeal like UP CM Akhilesh Yadav. Being the youngest CM of any state in India, He has perfectly carried on the responsibility of a New-Age CM focusing on the latest technological advancements along with keeping the basics of the state intact. His dynamic yet humble nature has a created a chord of belongingness with the people. He is active on all social media platforms and people can raise their queries and concerns directly to His official handles. A lot of initiatives by him have centralized processes related to emergency handling. Now this is what we expect in a true democracy. From education to employment, agriculture to infrastructure, women safety to pensions for senior citizens, UP CM Akhilesh Yadav has successfully empowered all the facets of development.
Only time would answer, who would be the people's leader for the upcoming UP assembly elections in 2017. Let us hope for the best and may the deserving Leader win.
Written by Anisha Dutta
She is a content evangelist who believes that the Science of today is the Technology of tomorrow.