Is Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister preparing for early elections in the state, perhaps in November 2006, instead of its scheduled date of February 2007? Only yesterday, at a public meeting in Agra, the Chief Minister himself announced his intention of holding early elections. Yadav told party workers, ‘‘Be prepared for early polls, within two months,’’ and asked them to gear up for electoral battle.The last few weeks has seen the CM in ‘‘development overdrive’’ announcing dozens of schemes and programmes for his constituency — namely the Muslim community and youth. In Lucknow today, the CM announced the setting up of a commission for suggesting measures to increase minority representation in government jobs and to promote their education. The Commission, comprising a chairman and two members, would recommend measures to increase representation of minorities in government jobs and promote their education.According to sources, Yadav may hold early elections to stem the rising public tide against him, apart from the creation of new political coalitions which are targeted against him. From former Prime Minister VP Singh’s Jan Morcha to the Muslim coalition People’s Democratic Front, many new formations threaten to cut into Yadav’s votes.Yadav is desperately wooing women and youths in a bid to expand his base, and has announced several multi-crore schemes for them — allowance of Rs 500 per month to all unemployed youths (there are nine lakh registered unemployed youths, according to state administration sources) and Rs 20,000 a year for girls who have passed high school under the Kanya Vidya Yojana to name a few. Yadav kicked off the first scheme in Lucknow on June 16 when he distributed cheques to 52,000 youths. He has allotted Rs 500 crore for the scheme and has promised Rs 1,000 if he is elected to power again. So far, the state has already distributed Rs 180 crore in the last financial year and has allotted Rs 300 crore this financial year for girls.
