With chief minister Akhilesh Yadav consolidating hold in the party and thereafter entering into alliance with Congress to gain control over maximum number of Muslim votes the saffron party has been forced to change its strategy to deal with the situation.

In the absence of projection of any leader as possible chief minister, PM Narendra Modi will be the face of party in the campaign and he will address 14 big rallies all over the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to talk about the achievements of his government’, demonetisation impact and concessions given to have nots in recent budget. Mr Narendra Modi will also talk about failure of Akhilesh Yadav government and deterioration in law and order situation.

As a strategy, BJP leaders are giving more prominence to BSP and its supremo Mayawati. The manner in which PM Modi and other leaders went out of their way to woo dalits and announced various programs for them and honoured Dr BR Ambedkar, the impression was given to public that BSP was main rival of BJP.

BJP leaders are now openly saying that BSP is the main rival to confuse muslims who are shifting to SP-Congress alliance .BJP would only gain if muslims were divided between BSP, Congress and Samajwadi Party.

As a strategy during western UP campaign, party leaders are openly talking about slaughterhouse or temple to polarize the voters on communal lines.

Controversial leader and BJP MLA and accused in Muzaffarnagar riots Sangeet Som was recently booked for promoting enmity in clashes when police seized his vehicle showing film of his arrest during riots and his hate speech during Dadri lynching incident.

Again BJP MLA Suresh Raina was booked for his controversial speeches that curfew would be imposed in certain districts of western UP if he won the elections.

If this was not enough, controversial BJP MP Yogi Adityanath said that people in western UP should remember rapes and riots at the time voting.

BJP is worried that RLD leader Ajit Singh is winning back jat community for his party RLD. More so all the party rebels who were denied tickets have also joined RLD. That is why BJP leaders are now openly talking about Hindutva agenda and Ram temple.

All of a sudden, BJP leaders have become soft toward Mulayam and his brother Shivpal Yadav and criticizing chief minister Akhilesh for grabbing the party and ignoring his father and his uncle.

BJP leadership is also facing tough in defusing infighting and protest from those who was denied tickets and preference was given to outsiders. There is open condemnation of statement of party leadership that outsiders were considered as party candidates for 50 seats in UP.

Never before BJP leadership faced huge protests from party leaders and workers over ticket distribution as this time. BJP national President Amit Shah and State president Keshav Prasad Maurya had a tough time in dealing with anger of party workers.

It was only due to SP-Congress alliance BJP was forced to change the list of star campaigner and brought back faces of Hindutva Varun Gandhi, Murli Manohar Joshi and Vinay Katiyar to help party in polarization.

For the first time BJP has given so many tickets to outsiders to ensure they win the seats. So much so, majority of those who got the tickets in Lucknow are outsiders with the result angry party leaders and workers may help rivals to ensure defeat of official candidates. The party rebels who are contesting in several constituencies, would also harm the party interests.

In order to consolidate its position in OBC and a section of dalits, BJP entered into alliance with Apna Dal of Anupriya Patel and Bhartiya Samaj Party of Om Prakah Rajbhar. (IPA Service)