ABSTRACT
Three pervasive themes predominated in the campaign in north India: corruption at the highest levels, symbolized by the Bofors scandal, Hindu-Muslim relations symbolized in the Ram Janmabhumi/Babari Masjid issue, and the relative leadership and personal qualities of Rajiv Gandhi and Vishwanath Pratap Singh. The overall conditional pattern in Uttar Pradesh produced by the public campaign issues and the traditional political alignments and antagonisms was as follows. The Janata Dal benefitted from Bofors as an issue, from Muslim discontent, and from the caste coalition of Thakurs and backward castes. The dualism in inter-party competition is qualified by the continued presence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as an important electoral force and by its efforts to mobilize Hindu "consciousness" and a consolidated Hindu vote. The position of the BJP in Balrampur constituency provides the basis for an explanation of its relative strength in constituencies with heavy concentrations of Muslims.
