One can't have an election in India without Pakistan becoming an issue, especially in a volatile state like Uttar Pradesh. The northern state of 220 million people, which is having crucial local assembly elections next month, and which are being seen as a bellwether for the national elections in 2024, has become a rhetorical battleground between competing parties over Pakistan. 

Akhilesh Yadav, chief of Samajwadi Party, seen as the chief rival to the ruling BJP of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that is seeking another five-year term in government, has stirred up a controversy with his remarks on Pakistan. In an interview with the Economic Times, Yadav, who was the state's youngest chief minister at 38 between 2012-17, said while China was India's real enemy, Pakistan was just the "political enemy". 

And that the BJP only targets Pakistan because of their "vote politics", he said, implying that the BJP, which has been accused of running a polarising campaign with its majoritarian agenda, brings up Pakistan as it wanted to consolidate Hindu votes in its favour. 

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been much criticized for his remarks that this was a "80 vs 20 election",  implying that the state's 80 per cent Hindu majority would vote for the BJP while 20 per cent Muslims would possibly vote for its opponents.

The BJP immediately hit back at Yadav saying his remark showed his "love for Pakistan" and he should apologise to the nation for his unpatriotic remarks. 

Yadav defended his remarks saying he was only quoting late General Bipin Rawat, former Chief of Defence Staff who died in a chopper crash in December, who had said in November that he considered China, not Pakistan, "India's biggest enemy".

In Punjab, which is also having state elections next month, former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who has aligned with the BJP after he was removed by the Congress party as chief minister last year, took potshots at his rival, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Sidhu, alleging that Pakistan lobbied to have him taken back in the Congress-led state government. 

"After I dropped Navjot Sidhu from my government, I got a message from Pakistan that he is an old friend of their prime minister and he would be grateful if you can keep him in the government. If he (Sidhu) doesn't work, then you can remove him," Singh said Monday duromg a press conference at BJP headquarters to announce a seat-sharing arrangement with his regional party which he formed after quitting the Congress.

Sidhu is known to be a friend of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, another cricketer turned politician, who had invited Sidhu to Islamabad for his oath-taking in August 2018 and the latter had attended the ceremony, leading to much criticism in India. 

(SAM)