Battleground U.P.: Politics in the Land of Ram

by Manish Tiwari, Rajan Pandey

A fascinating study of how politics are manoeuvred, campaigns run and elections managed in the largest democracy in the world. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Uttar Pradesh and its politics. Between March 2011 and March 2012, Manish Tiwari and Rajan Pandey travelled across Uttar Pradesh, by bike, jeep, bus and train, covering more than 15,000 kilometres and 350 constituencies in over 60 districts – in an effort to witness the prelude to the 2012 assembly elections, and capture the grassroots reality of India’s most politically significant state. The authors narrate untold stories and anecdotes of UP politics and give a ringside view of these watershed elections, which saw the end of Mayawati’s rule, the drubbing of the Congress, which had pinned its hopes on the Gandhi charisma, and the rise of a new star in the form of Akhilesh Yadav. They are witness to events as they unfold in the remotest corners of UP. At the same time, they also investigate the specifics of the socio-political climate in Uttar Pradesh at what is, arguably, a turning point in the state’s history, caught as it is between the politics of caste and the politics of class, the politics of goonda-gardi and corruption and the voting public’s increasingly vocal refusal to put up with it, the need for development and its almost unbearable human costs.Coming up to the present, the book takes an objective look at Akhilesh Yadav’s first six months in power and whether it has really been a change for the better. Part gonzo-journalism, part ethnography, Battleground UP: Politics in the Land of Ram is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Uttar Pradesh and its politics.

288 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2013

Reviews

[Mukesh Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a sucker for well researched, nuanced books on politics, but even if I hadn't been, this book would still rank as one of my favourites. For this is such an utterly fascinating book, so rooted in reality, so authentic. It deals with the dirty, murky world of ground-level politics in UP and dissects it in all its grimy and gory details. Never turning into a high handed social commentary, without any use of heavy academic jargons, it shows the disgusting and the noble, the ridiculous and the mundane, all facets of how politics is conducted in our largest state. And it does that with a lot of compassion, raw feelings, all tongue in cheek. Though it is a bit out of time to read this, since this book was written after UP assembly elections in 2013 and a lot of water has flown through the Ganga since, but still the socio-poltical realities is still almost same, and so it is a must read for anyone remotely interested in understanding how the dance of democracy is conducted in our hinterlands, and what it means for the masses inhabiting this hugely significant state, politically. Everything is dealt in detail here, whether the intertwined streams of communalism and criminaluzation or the rise of caste based politics, heralding the mainstreaming of the erstwhile backward communities into politics, whether the rise of nexus between neo-industrialists, politicians and mafia or the sustenance of socialism, alongside. With a heady mix of personalities, ideoligies, everything from the awe-inspiring to gut-wrenching. A wonderful read.

[E.T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 From its description :-
"Between March 2011 and March 2012, Manish Tiwari and Rajan Pandey travelled across Uttar Pradesh, by bike, jeep, bus and train, covering more than 15,000 kilometres and 350 constituencies in over 60 districts."
I got the impression that this book is a travelogue focusing on the 2012 state-elections but surprise-surprise it was mostly commentary on the politics of Uttar Pradesh. However, it was unbiased, lucid and well-informed because the authors had travelled 15000 KM :) The campaigns of the political parties, their strategies, their "social engineering", profiles of leaders and candidates have all been done quite well. And since the forerunners were SP and BSP, Akhilesh's 2012 campaign and BSP's rule in 2007-2012 has been covered in more detail.
The left-liberal media and "intellectuals" have a tendency to go soft on fellow socialists (SP), but the authors were unsparing in describing SP's Gunda-Raj and criminalisation.
Secondly, there is also a tendency to wrongly take on historical guilt and not criticise Dalits like Mayawati . But they have been equally unsparing in describing the Mayawati Govt's brazen corruption and her narcissism. Ppl say Mayawati maintained better law and order but that is only because her regime is compared to Mulayam Singh's.
For once, I have completely forgotten how this book made it to my to-read list. And by sheer coincidence it was suggested as free with my Kindle Unlimited subscription. The Marwadi in me picked it up and it was worth a read.

[Saurabh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is by far one of the best books on UP. This book aptly describes UP and all the socio-economic and geo-political issues it has had in the last several decades or so.It is well researched and the details mentioned with respect to all the politicians is quite factual.I must appreciate the guts of the authors for touch basing a forbidden issue like this that could land them in jeopardy.As someone who was born and brought up in UP I could totally relate to the issues inhabitants of the state have faced time and again.With the current SP government it seems nothing special as promised in SP's election manifestos is actually going to materialize.People of UP will again lose 5 years of their life to misgovernance and hooliganism will once again rise.I'd strongly recommend this book to anybody who wishes to take a sneak peek to what the political landscape of UP is all about.

[Mukul Khattar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read. The book reveals lot more than you think you know or what you see on TV. A sense on how the voters think and how unexpected and unsparing they can be. Accounts of what goes on in UP and how realpolitik takes place. It's not only thought proving and factual but will give the urban voter a reality check.

[Neeraj Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome book....must read for the folks who are interested in the vast and inpredicatable politics of Uttar pradesh.

[Soul longings · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in reading about politics in UP , this is THE book to read , it not only gives a synopsis of all parties , the caste equation but is also filled with interesting nuggets , related to the politicians. You get the feeling of sitting with the local people and discussing politics on a cup of tea. Even though the book was written during last assembly elections but it is very very relevant if u want to understand the UP & its political scenario. The writing style is very engaging and keeps u engrossed till the end .

[Mrinal Gaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

It positively gives a lot of insights into the political system of UP. It is 2024 and the same parties are fighting with each other so I could relate to the scenarios. But it is definitely not a 'forever' book.

[Nishant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book delivers what it promises- engaging the reader with Uttar Pradesh and its politics. Its writers have no intention to indulge into any serious academic study of the subject and that makes this work stand out. Its neither political history nor the political analysis of 2012 elections. The book is sort of travel journalism with an objective to get the honest perspective of UP politics from grassroots level. If one intends to read a primer on macro-micro level understanding of politics in UP- what is the status of political drama in UP, who are the lead actors and where the crisis possibly is located etc. - the book will not disappoint you. There are several repetitions in terms of reporting when the contents in different chapters and sections overlap. The epilogue is old by 3-4 years and has become more or less redundant and outdated now. But those are not issues of much significance. It will be a nice quick read if your expectations are not more than the scope the authors have set for the book.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Premise of book is great, but actual insights from the book are scarcer on the page. Still an interesting read, especially in light of the Mulayam-Akilesh feuding that's gone on over the last several months.

[Ashutosh Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough ground research and the lucid language makes this book a must read on the UP politics