The upcoming Budget Session of the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, slated to begin on February 20, is likely to be a stormy one, with opposition Samajwadi Party gearing up to punch holes in the Yogi Adityanath government’s recently concluded Global Investors Summit and big claims of investment proposals made around it.
The party is also set to corner the BJP on the issue of caste census. Sources say the SP intends to further fan the debate around the sensitive question of caste census.
The ruling BJP, meanwhile, is keen to keep the focus on the ‘Vikas’ (development) narrative that has been set in motion through the investors summit and investment proposals to the tune of Rs 33 lakh crore. The state budget that will be tabled by the finance minister Suresh Khanna on February 22 will have the reflection of optimism created through the recent summit.
Sources say the size of the budget is likely to grow by around Rs 50,000 crore as compared to the one for the previous financial year of 2022-2023. It is expected to be around Rs 7 lakh crore for the year 2023-2024. Ahead of the general elections next year, the budget is likely to focus on creation of jobs for the youth, empowering women and farmers and further upgrading the state’s healthcare infrastructure.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has often highlighted the fact that the state’s economy has more than tripled over the past six years of his government. The last budget of the government with Akhilesh Yadav as the chief minister in 2016 was roughly around Rs 2 lakh crore. The government claims that better financial discipline over the years and focus on infrastructure and industry development has brought the change which can propel the state to be a one trillion dollar economy by 2027.
The Budget Session also being the first session of the state assembly in the present year will begin with Governor Anandiben Patel’s address on February 20, which is likely to see protest by the Opposition, especially the SP-RLD alliance.
BJP’S VIKAS CLAIMS VERSUS SP’S ‘BUNDLE OF LIES’ CHARGE
The Budget Session will see an aggressive Opposition trying to corner the BJP government on the issue of development and growth. Sources within the Samajwadi Party say Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Akhilesh Yadav, will himself lead the charge.
A detailed reply with statistics is being prepared to counter the government’s claims of outstanding success around the investors’ summit. Akhilesh Yadav’s speech in reply to the Budget will be loaded with arguments and facts to bust the hype around the BJP’s ‘Vikas’ narrative, the party claimed.
SP’s national spokesperson Ameeque Jamai said: “We cannot disclose our floor strategy for the Vidhan Sabha but there is no denying the fact that big numbers and fancy claims around the summit are nothing more than a bundle of lies. As a responsible Opposition, we will expose the government on all platforms, both within the Vidhan Sabha and outside.”
However, talking to News18, Uttar Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said: “The Opposition is already exposed in the people’s court. Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government has brought a remarkable change in the state. The investors’ summit has been a grand success and in November this year, people will see the first mega ground-breaking ceremony based on the MoUs signed in the summit.”
DEMAND FOR CASTE CENSUS
The other big agenda on mind of the Opposition, primarily the Samajwadi Party, is the demand for caste census — a sensitive matter on which the BJP so far has refrained from directly getting into a debate.
In fact, Yogi Adityanath, in an interview earlier this month with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi skipped the question, saying: “Census is an issue on which the Center takes a call.”
Sources in SP indicate that they plan to corner the BJP on the matter. In the run-up to the 2024 general elections, the demand is related most directly to interests of the backward castes and stems out of the unfulfilled recommendations of the Mandal Commission.
In neighbouring state Bihar, the JDU-RJD government led by Nitish Kumar has already ordered for the caste-based survey. It is believed that in their urge to revive caste-based politics in reply to the BJP’s larger Hindutva appeal, parties like the RLD and JDU in Bihar and the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh are likely to up the ante on the survey.
Highly placed sources in SP told News18 that the party intends to launch a massive campaign for the caste census demand post Holi. Steps like ‘Jail Bharo’ movement and street protests are likely to be adopted. Before that, the party wants to build the momentum from the floor of the Vidhan Sabha.
Caste has always been a major driving force in the state’s politics. Experts say there are 79 different backward castes in Uttar Pradesh and their percentage in the total population is estimated to be between 50 and 54 per cent. The Mandal Commission report in 1990 had seen the rise of backward caste politics in states like UP and Bihar.
Over the years, while some dominant castes likes the Yadavs, Kurmis and Jats emerged as the biggest political and economic gainers, many others are just waking up to their strength in democracy. Recent emergence of political players like Om Prakash Rajbhar or Sanjay Nishad of the Nishad Party are examples of it.
The Samajwadi Party thinks that by fanning the demand of caste census aggressively, it can reach out to the larger OBC base beyond the empowered castes like the Yadavs. The caste census, if executed, can also lead to a bigger demand for reservation according to percentage in population.
LAW AND ORDER, KANPUR DEATHS ALSO TO BE RAISED
The Yogi Adityanath government is also likely to face the Opposition’s barbs on the law and order front, especially in the backdrop of the recent suicides by a mother and her daughter while opposing the anti-encroachment drive.
The horrific incident that was reported from Kanpur Dehat district a few days ago saw the entire Opposition, including the Congress and the BSP, targeting the state government and raising questions on its bulldozer policy.
An attempt was also made to give it an “anti-Brahmin” spin against the BJP, since victims in the case were from the Brahmin community. The government, however, was quick to act as it suspended the SDM and the SHO concerned and slapped a FIR against the two and several other government employees involved in the drive.
The Vidhan Sabha session commencing on February 20 is likely to continue till March 10. Vote of thanks on the Governor’s speech is likely to conclude on the 24th and discussion on the budget will begin on the 25th.
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