Politics in the states of UP-Bihar cannot be accomplished by ignoring the caste dynamics. The Bhartiya Janata Party might have understood this and the attempted outreach to the Yadavs can be seen in this light.
BJP registered a massive victory in UP
In the assembly elections concluded early this year, the Bhartiya Janata Party registered a massive victory. CM Yogi Adityanath won a consecutive term and scripted history. He also broke the Noida jinx.
The BJP won 255 seats and managed to send the opposition and the self-acclaimed political pundits scratching their heads, the ones forming imaginary political equations in their heads.
There were many factors that helped Yogi Adityanath storm back to power, like the drastically improved law and order situation in the state and popular welfare schemes in the wake of Covid crisis among others.
Read More: BJP is not just an urban party. UP victory shows it is deeply entrenched in rural politics
What added to the above factors is the ‘caste-dynamics’. The Bhartiya Janata Party, which once was known as an urban party of upper castes and upper class, has now assimilated people from all sections of the society. The Jat votes also pushed the party towards victory. The party has successfully brought the non-Yadav OBCs into its fold. Some defections, like that of Aparna Yadav, however, were expected, did not benefit the party numerically, and the Samajwadi Party became the main opposition party in the state.
BJP’s outreach to the SP’s loyal vote bank; the Yadavs
It is widely believed that despite widening its caste base extensively, BJP had not been able to woo the Yadavs and that has been a major concern for the party high command, as the Yadavs comprise about 9 per cent of the total population.
If the saffron party wishes to decimate competition in the state, the only way out is to bring the OBC Yadavs into the party’s fold, and it seems that the saffron party has begun infiltrating the same.
Two recent developments substantiate the aforementioned claim. The first is, the fielding of Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua in the polls, and his win on the SP bastion, Azamgarh seat can be seen as the primary signs of churning in SP’s loyal vote bank. The rift among the family members, be it bahu Aparna Yadav, or Shivpal Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav. The third attempt can be the address of PM Modi on the death anniversary of once Samajwadi giant Chaudhary Harmohan Singh.
Read More: Yogi and the BJP busted the myth of Muslim-Jat Ekta in the UP elections
PM’s address on Harmohan Singh Yadav’s death anniversary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed a program marking the 10th death anniversary of late Chaudhary Harmohan Singh Yadav, a prominent leader of the Samajwadi Party.
PM in his address praised the late leader for upholding the Constitution of India in the time of Emergency. PM noted that the late leader had shown exemplary courage of Harmohan Singh Yadav as he took a stand against the Sikh massacre and fought to protect the Sikhs. To note, the leader was awarded Shaurya Chakra in 1991 for protecting Sikhs in the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
Harmohan Singh Yadav was a prominent Yadav leader and the participation of PM in the program can be considered as a recognition of the contributions of the late leader. Also, this may be the best time to launch the charge. As Mulayam Singh Yadav decided to quit active politics, the Chaudhary clan got estranged. Harmohan’s grandson joined the Bhartiya Janata Party in January this year. Though the party claims the function to be non-political, the timing chosen suggests otherwise.
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