Lucknow, Aug 25 (IANS): The increasing focus of the opposition in Uttar Pradesh on caste census, the poll narrative in the state where elections are due early next year has started changing.
From Hindutva and Ram temple, the spotlight is shifting to casteism.
The BJP, sensing the change in narrative, will now be using Kalyan Singh's legacy to counter the opposition campaign.
The party, according to sources, plans to project the departed leader as the 'tallest OBC leader who had the right mix of backward politics and Hindutva.'
The BJP government in the state has already decided to name the Aligarh airport after Kalyan Singh and roads after him in half a dozen districts.
The party is mulling a proposal to take out Kalyan Kalash Yatra with urns containing the late leader's ashes. The proposal is awaiting a final approval from the BJP and RSS leadership.
"Kalyan Singh's ashes will be immersed in major rivers of Uttar Pradesh, including Ganga in Varanasi and Saryu in Ayodhya. The ashes would be collected from the banks of Ganga at Narora Ghat on August 27. We want to hold Shraddhanjali Sabha at places where his ashes will be immersed. We have spoken to the family and the programme awaits the final nod from the party," said a senior BJP functionary.
The Yogi Adityanath government is also preparing to unveil various initiatives as a tribute to the former chief minister.
"We are working on naming schemes and projects after the late leader whose name 'Kalyan' -- meaning welfare -- fits into almost every scheme," said a UP minister.
Senior political analyst R.K. Singh said, "Almost all parties are warming up to OBCs and the demand for caste census is a part of this game plan. The Samajwadi Party, till recently, has been the custodian of OBC votes but the BJP is now aiming to make a dent by playing the OBC card with Kalyan Singh, whose politics was a heady cocktail of caste and Hindutva.
Scores of BJP leaders have already launched a major offensive against the Samajwadi Party over the absence of SP leaders in the final rites of Kalyan Singh.
State leaders from Uttar Pradesh BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh to OBC ministers including Swami Prasad Maurya and MP Sakshi Maharaj have slammed the SP leadership for not 'bothering to pay tributes to Kalyan Singh merely because of their minority appeasement policy.'
The absence of SP leaders became even more pronounced because BSP president Mayawati went to Kalyan Singh's residence on Sunday and paid floral tributes to the departed soul.
The Samajwadi Party did not respond to BJP's offensive and said that the party had 'mastered the art of turning a solemn occasion like this into an event.'
"Akhilesh was not in Lucknow when Kalyan Singh passed away. He spoke to the former chief minister's son Rajvir Singh and conveyed his condolences. He will be meeting the family soon," said a senior party leader.
Kalyan Singh died on August 21 in Lucknow, following a prolonged illness.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president J.P. Nadda and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the leader's Lucknow residence to pay tributes to him.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath escorted Kalyan's mortal from Lucknow to Aligarh and remained present till the last rites were performed.
Kalyan Singh's son Rajvir Singh, in a tweet, thanked Yogi Adityanath for playing the role of an elder son.
Kalyan Singh who belonged to the Lodh sub-caste of OBCs and the BJP used him to counter the 'Mandal' (caste) agitation with 'kamandal' (Hindutva) by taking up the issue of temple at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya in the early nineties.