Unfazed by Akhilesh Yadav praising Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi as a "good boy", BJP leaders in private admitted that there is no anti-incumbency against the UP chief minister but only against the Samajwadi Party government.
This political sentiment is a repeat of a 2009 phenomenon. The then prime minister Manmohan Singh was popular with the people but his UPA government faced anti-incumbency, which it overcame in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections to have a back to back stint at the Centre, noted BJP leaders.
Akhilesh has managed the same image due to his development initiatives and personal stand of opposing an alliance of an outfit led by UP mafia don Mukhtar Ansari though it went against SP wishes, said a BJP leader.
One reason, apart from the lack of a credible face in the state unit, for not projecting a chief ministerial candidate in UP is that BJP would like to avoid an Akhilesh versus BJP clash in the assembly polls due to the UP CMs good public image, said a party functionary.
The BJP is the only party that has not declared a CM candidate. Even the Congress has projected Sheila Dikshit as its mascot. The BJP wants Union Home Minister and former UP CM Rajnath Singh to be the lead campaigner after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the assembly polls. It plans to fight the polls on Modi government's performance plank.
The BJP believes that the party is gaining ground in the state ahead of the polls sometime early next year. The BSP, it contends, has weakened after important leaders like Swami Prasad Maurya crossed over to the BJP. A BJP source said it was too early to make an assessment of the BSP's chances.
This political sentiment is a repeat of a 2009 phenomenon. The then prime minister Manmohan Singh was popular with the people but his UPA government faced anti-incumbency, which it overcame in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections to have a back to back stint at the Centre, noted BJP leaders.
Akhilesh has managed the same image due to his development initiatives and personal stand of opposing an alliance of an outfit led by UP mafia don Mukhtar Ansari though it went against SP wishes, said a BJP leader.
One reason, apart from the lack of a credible face in the state unit, for not projecting a chief ministerial candidate in UP is that BJP would like to avoid an Akhilesh versus BJP clash in the assembly polls due to the UP CMs good public image, said a party functionary.
The BJP is the only party that has not declared a CM candidate. Even the Congress has projected Sheila Dikshit as its mascot. The BJP wants Union Home Minister and former UP CM Rajnath Singh to be the lead campaigner after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the assembly polls. It plans to fight the polls on Modi government's performance plank.
The BJP believes that the party is gaining ground in the state ahead of the polls sometime early next year. The BSP, it contends, has weakened after important leaders like Swami Prasad Maurya crossed over to the BJP. A BJP source said it was too early to make an assessment of the BSP's chances.
Unfazed by Akhilesh Yadav praising Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi as a "good boy”, BJP leaders in private admitted that there is no anti-incumbency against the UP chief minister but only against the Samajwadi Party government.
This political sentiment is a repeat of a 2009 phenomenon. The then prime minister Manmohan Singh was popular with the people but his UPA government faced anti-incumbency, which it overcame in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections to have a back to back stint at the Centre, noted BJP leaders.
Akhilesh has managed the same image due to his development initiatives and personal stand of opposing an alliance of an outfit led by UP mafia don Mukhtar Ansari though it went against SP wishes, said a BJP leader.
One reason, apart from the lack of a credible face in the state unit, for not projecting a chief ministerial candidate in UP is that BJP would like to avoid an Akhilesh versus BJP clash in the assembly polls due to the UP CM's good public image, said a party functionary.
The BJP is the only party that has not declared a CM candidate. Even the Congress has projected Sheila Dikshit as its mascot. The BJP wants Union Home Minister and former UP CM Rajnath Singh to be the lead campaigner after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the assembly polls. It plans to fight the polls on Modi government’s performance plank.
The BJP believes that the party is gaining ground in the state ahead of the polls sometime early next year. The BSP, it contends, has weakened after important leaders like Swami Prasad Maurya crossed over to the BJP. A BJP source said it was too early to make an assessment of the BSP’s chances.
This political sentiment is a repeat of a 2009 phenomenon. The then prime minister Manmohan Singh was popular with the people but his UPA government faced anti-incumbency, which it overcame in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections to have a back to back stint at the Centre, noted BJP leaders.
Akhilesh has managed the same image due to his development initiatives and personal stand of opposing an alliance of an outfit led by UP mafia don Mukhtar Ansari though it went against SP wishes, said a BJP leader.
One reason, apart from the lack of a credible face in the state unit, for not projecting a chief ministerial candidate in UP is that BJP would like to avoid an Akhilesh versus BJP clash in the assembly polls due to the UP CM's good public image, said a party functionary.
The BJP is the only party that has not declared a CM candidate. Even the Congress has projected Sheila Dikshit as its mascot. The BJP wants Union Home Minister and former UP CM Rajnath Singh to be the lead campaigner after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the assembly polls. It plans to fight the polls on Modi government’s performance plank.
The BJP believes that the party is gaining ground in the state ahead of the polls sometime early next year. The BSP, it contends, has weakened after important leaders like Swami Prasad Maurya crossed over to the BJP. A BJP source said it was too early to make an assessment of the BSP’s chances.