On the ground in Uttar Pradesh, all political equations have been thrown out of gear by the vanishing money post-demonetisation. There is anger and the threat of low-grade violence if the situation does not improve, in some sectors that have been badly hit.
There is equally a level of acceptance among the very poor, who had little to lose anyway and some of whom believe there may be justice down the road if the moneyed classes suffer. There is admiration among the professional classes who see Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Absolute Leader for whom there is no replacement.
There is complete shock among the baniya community – manufacturers, traders, shopkeepers and moneylenders – who have traditionally been BJP’s financiers and most ardent supporters.
How does one therefore read the political script in a world turned upside down? The 2017 assembly elections had represented the best opportunity for BJP to get power in the state after a quarter century. The last time they had a majority government was in 1991, when the Kalyan Singh regime rode in on the Ram temple wave and rode out after being dismissed following the demolition of the Babri mosque.
