After Rajputs Lalu eyeing on other upper castes
Patna,(BiharTimes): If the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief, Mayawati,
known for her anti-upper caste diatribes, can win the support of
Brahmins in Uttar Pradesh why not RJD supremo Lalu Yadav do so in
Bihar.
This seems to be the latest strategy of the Rashtriya Janata Dal. Why
not? After all it has been provided an opportunity to do so by none
else but the Janata Dal (United), which has suddenly ditched them.
Mayawati started her experiment by wooing Brahmins, which has around
10 per cent population in Uttar Pradesh. Lalu initiated his campaign
to befriend upper castes by winning over arch-rival, Prabhunath Singh,
an influential Rajput leader of north Bihar.
It was rather by default that RJD turned into Rajput Janata Dal, when
three out of four MPs, who got elected on the party ticket in the last
year parliamentary election, came from this caste. True some Rajputs
did vote for the party, but Rajputs, as a whole, were not inclined
towards the RJD till the Nitish government's reported plan to
introduce Bataidari law late last year. The wheel finally turned full
circle with Prabhunath, with hundreds of supporters, joining the RJD
on August 7 last. A new formula PMRY (Paswan, Muslim, Rajput and
Yadav) has been floated to counter the Janata Dal (United)-BJP
combine.
Now efforts are on to woo Bhumihars, Brahmins and Kayasthas, the three
other upper castes of the state. In fact Lalu was, a few months back,
invited by an organization of Bhumihars, to speak on the issue of land
and sharecropping. This in itself was a big conciliatory move from
both the sides as during the 15 years rule Bhumihars were in the
forefront of their opposition to Lalu Yadav. This, in spite of the
fact, that before the implementation of the Mandal Commission
recommendation Lalu had a good relationship with Bhumihars, especially
in his home turf of Gopalganj.
There is also plan to give more tickets to Brahmins, especially in
Mithilanchal, where there is a sizeable Yadav and Muslim population
too. Attempts are also on to win over Kayasthas, considered as the
BJP's strong votebank. There are quite a few disgruntled Kayastha and
Brahmin leaders in Janata Dal (United), whom RJD may allure by giving
tickets in assembly election.
Upper castes may form only 15 per cent of Bihar's population but they
have considerable influence in the state politics. However, only time
will tell whether it could neutralize the efforts made by the chief
minister, Nitish Kumar, to allure Extreme Backward Castes and
Mahadalits.
Since there is no permanent enemy or friend in politics the RJD would
certainly try to widen its support-base. True it still has full faith
in Muslims and Yadavs, yet it is aware that if it wants to come back
to power it needs the support of the other social groups too.
In this regard the party organized a high-level meeting last week.
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