Benefits of Grassroots Activism

Dr. Dilip Agnihotri
BJP’s flag has been waved in the election of district panchayat president of Uttar Pradesh.

The opposition is in a hurry. Once again he is blaming his defeat on the system. But this may not give an accurate analysis of the election. For the opposition, this is not an occasion to make allegations but an opportunity for introspection. But trying to escape from it is going on. Under this, instead of self-reflection, work is being done on the basis of accusation. In the last seven years, a unique approach is being adopted for this.

If BJP won, it is said that EVMs were bad. If the opposition wins then claim its popularity. This double standard did not enhance the reputation of the opposition. Along with this, the opposition should also remember the time of their governments. It is necessary to have moral force and background to accuse others. Only then do those allegations have an effect. Otherwise they would have no more importance than any shard. The background at that time was different.

In the election of the President’s post, the cases of money power and muscle power were well known. This was not the situation at this time. The ruling party has got psychological and political benefits. His enthusiasm has increased. The position of the opposition is the opposite. He also failed to correctly assess the equation. In the panchayat member elections, the SP had claimed to win the maximum number of seats. Assuming this claim to be true, it was still not possible to get more seats for the presidency. A large number of independents won the elections. Most of them were dissatisfied with the BJP. Being in power, most of the contenders were also from this party.

Such independents did not agree to support the SP for the post of president. The BSP had abstained from the presidential election. His supporters who had become members were also not ready to go with the SP. BSP chief Mayawati’s statement also proved to be harmful for the SP. Just before the election, he had called the SP a traitor. The Congress was nowhere in the fight. Some time back also Mayawati had said that she can do anything to stop the SP. It was a favorable environment for the BJP. A large number of its members were also victorious. Along with this he also got the benefit of equation. Therefore, the election result cannot be called unpredictable.

The BJP organization maintained its grassroots activism during the Corona period. There was activism at all levels from the National President to the Mandal President. A large number of relief operations were conducted. On the other hand, the opposition lagged behind in this matter. Its leader was very active on Twitter. He was always ready to give feedback on every issue. But there was a lack of ground activism. There was a lack of communication with his own workers. Its effect was also visible in the Panchayat elections.

Supporting the so-called peasant movement also proved to be detrimental to the opposition. The agitation in the name of farmers is going on for seven months on the Delhi border. The government held talks with its representatives twelve times. But these people were adamant on the withdrawal of the three agricultural laws. The opposition leaders supported this Begane movement. He also suffered for this. The farmers of Uttar Pradesh were not interested in this movement. The farmers were not even angry with the choice and rights. Only the middlemen were to suffer because of this. It was publicized as the loss of farmers. This did not affect the actual farmers. Even the real farmers did not believe in the arguments regarding the abolition of agricultural market and minimum support price. On the contrary, questions started coming from the previous governments. Asked how much support price was increased during his time. In his time, what percentage of food grains were procured from the agricultural market.

This question was an embarrassment for the leaders who supported the movement. Because the maximum increase in the minimum support price was done during the present government. Similarly, many times more food grains were procured in Uttar Pradesh as compared to the previous governments. 100% payment was also ensured to the farmers in seventy two hours. The Panchayat members were also impressed by the achievements of the present government. Now power supply is being provided round the clock at district headquarters of the state, about twenty two hours at tehsil headquarters, sixteen to seventeen hours in rural areas. In the coming time, work is being done in the direction of providing round the clock power supply in the entire state.

The environment has changed with world class infrastructure and connectivity. Today the works of airport, airstrip development, Purvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, Ganga Expressway, Gorakhpur Link Expressway, Ballia Link Expressway are being done in the state. Construction of Shri Ram temple at Ayodhya Janmabhoomi, Article three hundred and seventy, abolishment of triple talaq, citizenship amendment law, agricultural law, self-reliant India campaign, effective disaster management in corona crisis, Kisan Samman Nidhi, ration for eighty crore poor for six months Many unprecedented achievements like maintenance allowance, crores of poor houses, toilets etc. are going to excite the ruling party. The state government has so far made payment of sugarcane price to the tune of Rs.1.25 lakh crore to the sugarcane farmers. More than half of the current year’s sugarcane price has been paid. All one hundred and nineteen sugar mills were operated even during the Corona period. About thirty six lakh metric tonnes of wheat were procured at the minimum support price. More than sixty six lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been procured. More than eleven thousand crore rupees have been paid to the farmers.

About two hundred crore rupees have been paid to the farmers by the state government by purchasing maize. Two crore forty two lakh farmers of the state have been benefited under the Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi. For this the state has also received the first prize from the Government of India. Forty lakh houses have been provided in urban and rural areas of the state. More than 2.5 crore farmers were benefitted from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. Fifty-four lakh workers, street vendors etc. got the benefit of maintenance allowance.

The Uttar Pradesh Workers and Labor Employment and Employment Commission has been constituted to achieve the objectives of social and economic security and all-round development of workers. One crore thirty eight lakh houses have been given free electricity connections. More than eighty eight lakh people have been given old age, women and handicapped pensions. Under the Har Ghar Nal Yojna, pure drinking water scheme has been implemented in thirty thousand gram panchayats. Action is being taken to connect every district headquarters with four lanes and to connect tehsil headquarters and development block headquarters with two lanes.