Brahmin politics stock takes a hit
TNN, Mar 25, 2010, 05.03am IST
LUCKNOW: Brahmin politics, which dominated UP between 2007 and 2009,
has taken a backseat now with major political parties in the state
desperate to catch hold of Dalits, Muslims and Backwards, keeping the
2012 assembly elections in mind.
If BSP supremo and chief minister Mayawati harped on her Dalit agenda
in the March 15 rally, the SP, sans Amar Singh, is using the Women's
Reservation Bill to win back Muslims and strengthen its grip on Other
Backward Classes (OBC), whereas the Congress has gone all out to woo
both Dalits and Muslims. After nightouts in Dalit households, the
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is all set to roll out a Rath
Yatra from April 14 on the birth anniversary of Dalit icon, B R
Ambedkar, even as his lieutenants are busy appeasing Muslims by
reviving the memories of Batla House encounter.
But things were different between 2007 assembly elections and 2009 Lok
Sabha polls. Mayawati came to power by wooing a section of Brahmins in
2007 by fielding a large number of Brahmin candidates. Stunned by
Mayawati's success, BJP appointed Ramapati Ram Tripathi as its state
president and Kalraj Mishra as UP in charge to win back Brahmins. The
Congress made Rita Bahugana Joshi its state chief. Even SP supremo
Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose politics has always centred around OBC and
Muslims, roped in Kripa Shankar Mishra of Brahmin Mahasabha to balance
the equations.
Traditionally, Brahmins have voted for the Congress but after Ram
Temple Movement in 90s they shifted to BJP. A section voted for BSP in
2007. In 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Brahmin votes were scattered among the
Congress, BJP and BSP. The Congress revived by winning 21 seats with
Dalits and Muslims also voting for it. But Mulayam paid heavily for
his friendship with Kalyan Singh. SP's tally came down to 24. While
BJP remained static at 10 seats and BSP got only 20, much less than
expectations. The 2009 results forced parties to go back to basics.
While Dalits and OBCs constitute 64% of UP's population, Muslims are
20% and other castes 16%. Brahmins are 8%-15% of voters in various
constituencies and play a key role in 60 assembly seats. So, can
parties afford to overlook Brahmins? "No", said Ashok Bajpai, SP
national general secretary. "Brahmins always vote in the nation's
interest and not as a vote bank but the community has been cheated —
first by the Congress, then BJP and now BSP. Brahmins will play a
crucial role in 2012 assembly elections and this time they would vote
for SP," he claimed.
Kalraj Mishra, senior BJP leader, said, "BSP today is worried about
losing its Dalit vote base. It has dumped Brahmins and is creating a
communal situation to polarise votes like it happened recently in
Bareilly." The Congress, he said, has taken Brahmin support for
granted, hence is busy appeasing Muslims and Dalits. SP, he added, is
also trying to win over Muslims. "But, BJP is raising issues like
price rise, which are directly related to masses. Now people are more
aware and parties cannot take them for a ride through hollow slogans,"
he said.
Rita Bahugana Joshi, UP Congress chief, denied playing caste and
communal cards. "We are reaching out to people with development issues
like employment and food guarantee schemes, right to education, law
and order among other things," she said. Parties, she claimed, playing
caste and communal politics would suffer in elections as it happened
in 2009 Lok Sabha elections. While nobody from BSP was ready to go on
record, a Brahmin MP said, "Behenji wants development of all sections
of the society. Brahmins are very much on her agenda."
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