BJP Pushes UCC, Allies Remain Cautious Ahead of Polls (Img: X)
New Delhi: Implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh could prove challenging, with the BJP likely to have to take its alliance partners on board before making any move on the contentious issue.
The ruling NDA partners in Uttar Pradesh have so far maintained a cautious position on the UCC, particularly with Assembly elections due early next year. The issue returned to the political spotlight after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on September 13 that the UCC would be implemented in all NDA-ruled states before 2029.
The UCC has long been part of the BJP's core agenda, alongside the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. BJP chief spokesperson in Uttar Pradesh, Dinesh Pratap Singh, said the party remains committed to implementing the code.
"The UCC has always been part of the BJP's core goal and election manifesto like abrogation of Article 370 in J&K.The party is committed to bring UCC" Singh said.
Following Shah's statement, Singh said the Uttar Pradesh government would move in that direction.
Within the BJP, some leaders see the UCC as an issue that could help the party counter the opposition's emphasis on caste during the election campaign. The party's allies in Uttar Pradesh, however, have yet to announce a formal position on the issue.
Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) general secretary Anil Dubey said the party was not ready to comment on the matter yet.
"I will not comment on the issue at present. I will get back after consulting the party high command" Dubey said.
Led by Jayant Chaudhary, the RLD is part of the NDA at both the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh, with its political base largely concentrated among Jats and farmers in western Uttar Pradesh.
Apna Dal (Soneylal), another NDA ally with a support base among Kurmis and non-Yadav OBCs in eastern Uttar Pradesh, has also not formally announced its position on the UCC. Party leaders indicated that the issue would be addressed by the party high command. Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel is a Union minister.
The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), led by Om Prakash Rajbhar, has also not made its position on the UCC clear.
The cautious approach by the regional allies comes as the BJP prepares for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election and weighs the political implications of pushing an issue that has remained a key part of its ideological agenda.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has criticised the BJP's UCC push. In a post on X on Tuesday, Yadav said:
"Public understands that the UCC that BJP is talking about actually has a different full form: UCC means Underground Communal Conspiracy. First fulfill previous promises, then bring UCC. Transfer Rs 15 lakh into accounts, then bring UCC. Provide 2 crore jobs then bring UCC"
The comments add another layer to the political debate over the UCC in Uttar Pradesh, with the issue now emerging as one of the subjects likely to feature prominently ahead of the Assembly polls.
