Why ‘Beti’ and ‘Bahu’ Are Coming Up Strong in UP Politics

In UP, everyone wants to woo the woman voter. Meet the ‘betis’ and ‘bahus’ in the state’s political fray.

In Uttar Pradesh, everyone wants to woo the woman voter. But why? That’s because the percentage of women voting in the Assembly elections has increased over the years.

According to Lokniti’s post-poll survey after Bihar elections in 2015, the overall turnout among women went up by five percentage points from 54.5 percent in 2010 to 59.9 in 2015. Importantly, the increase in the number of women voting is complemented by a shift in voting patterns.

While traditionally, women voted according to the family's political affiliations, there’s now a gradual shift wherein women are voting according to their personal preferences. For instance, in Bihar in 2015, it was found that the BJP-led alliance was at a disadvantage with women voters; 33 percent of women voted for BJP, as opposed to 35 percent of men.

Clearly, the woman voter is important in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2017. Which is why women leaders in the state are projecting themselves as the ideal ‘beti’ or ‘bahu’.

Priyanka Gandhi

Considered to be her grandmother Indira Gandhi’s successor, Priyanka Gandhi is an easy contender for the title of UP ki beti. But due to her refusal to go beyond the Congress bastions of Rae Bareli and Amethi, she comes across as a reluctant politician, at least to an average woman voter in UP. But with an SP-Congress alliance in the offing, can Priyanka make her mark as a star campaigner? Is the prodigal daughter finally returning home?

Mayawati

In December 2016, a day after the Enforcement Directorate detected Rs 104 crore in BSP’s account, Mayawati accused the BJP of targeting her ahead of UP elections. She said BJP leaders “do not want a Dalit ki beti” to stake claim to political power in the state.

Mayawati, or ‘Behenji’ as she is widely known, has always been a force to reckon with in Uttar Pradesh. But after facing a massive electoral defeat in 2012, the onus on Mayawati is to reaffirm her Dalit roots (and vote bank.)

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Sheila Dikshit

When the three-time Delhi chief minister was declared as Congress’ chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh, there were murmurs of ‘outsider’ heard not just within the party, but also in wider political circles.

Facing criticism, Dikshit was quick to counter by saying, “Main UP ki bahu hoon.” As the daughter-in-law of Uma Shankar Dikshit, a well-known leader in the state, her statement isn’t inaccurate. But it is interesting to note that she didn’t put forth her time as an MP in Kannauj as evidence of being familiar with UP politics. Does being a “bahu” mean an immediate sense of belonging to a state?

Sonia Gandhi

In December 2015, amidst the controversial National Herald case, Sonia Gandhi said, “Main Indira Gandhi ki bahu hoon, I am not afraid of anyone.” It was a comment which came under heavy criticism from the BJP, and led to fiery comebacks from the Congress. (“Sonia Gandhi is the country’s daughter-in-law,” said Jharkhand Minister Rajendra Prasad Singh at that time.)

Sonia Gandhi’s political career has been dogged by constant comparisons to her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi. It is a title she has worn proudly and occasionally used in political jousting. But Gandhi’s opposition has always prefixed ‘foreigner’ to her title, making her the permanent outsider. Can Uttar Pradesh 2017 redeem her?

Smriti Irani

In 2003, Smriti Irani was inducted into the BJP. Soon after a senior BJP leader said,

We have found a counter to Sonia Gandhi. We have found an Indian bahu to counter a foreign bahu. 

The statement could be a possible attempt at wordplay, since Irani was then known for her wildly popular role as Tulsi Virani in ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’. But Irani being inscribed as a bahu — a traditional, Indian bahu, no less — is no accident. Even if she was introduced as a counter to Sonia Gandhi, Smriti Irani has made the moniker of ‘bahu’ her own; reaffirming her traditional roots repeatedly. However, in 2017, her political stature in the BJP is on the wane. Can she make a comeback in Uttar Pradesh?

Dimple Yadav

Dimple Yadav is the Yadav bahu who could change the course of Uttar Pradesh elections. While she was seen to be a novice in political campaigning, her intelligent role in the Yadav feud, her introduction of women-centric schemes and her transformation of SP’s social media handles, mean she is being touted as the face of Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh.

Party workers consider her to be the perfect mix of tradition and modernity; a Yadav bahu who politically matches her husband step-for-step.

(Sources: Rediff, NDTV, India Today, Indian Express)