Taking a cue from the winning formula adopted by the BJP for 2017 Assembly elections where it co-opted the most backward castes (MBCs)  and forged an alliance with smaller caste-based parties, the Samajwadi Party is also tying up with smaller caste-based parties. 

Realisation has dawned on the party that it is no longer on a strong wicket after the Assembly election debacle and its poor show in the urban local body polls in November last year.

Chartering a new political trajectory, the party is attempting to go beyond the traditional Yadav-Muslim political combination. Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has taken the initiative to reach out to the Nishad community by announcing Pravin Kumar Nishad as party candidate in the upcoming Gorakhpur lok Sabha byelection. 

Earlier, on February 4, Akhilesh had addressed a ‘Swabhiman Rally’ organised by Janwadi Party (Socialist), a small party floated by MBC social group lonia Chauhan, in Varanasi. Medieval Rajput king Prthviraj Chauhan is the icon of the community. Akhilesh even promised that his party would bring back the mortal remains of Prithviraj Chauhan from Afghanistan.

Pravin Kumar Nishad belongs to the relatively unknown Nishad (Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal) Party and is the son of party president Sanjay Nishad. Gorakhpur has a sizeable Nishad population (nearly three lakh) which could boost the prospects of the Samajwadi Party on this seat. The Nishad community in UP constitutes less than four per cent of the OBC population but is one of the politically aware OBC groups.

Nishads and their sub-castes like Kewat and Mallah live along river banks and are involved in occupations related to rivers, including boating and fishing. Phoolan Devi was one of the leaders of the community who made it big in politics.

Akhilesh Yadav is also warming up to tje Kurmi community which constitutes about 9 per cent of the population. The party has fielded a Kurmi (Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel) as its candidate for the Phulpur lok Sabha byelection.

The SP president also visited senior party leader Beni Prasad Varma’s residence on latter’s birthday. The much-publicised visit to Varma’s residence was seen as an attempt to mend fences with veteran leaders who wield influence in the community. Akhilesh had earlier cold-shouldered Verma when he returned to the party in May 2016 as he is close to the Mulayam Singh camp. His son Rakesh Varma was denied a ticket in the 2017 Assembly polls by Akhilesh.

A senior SP leader said: “The party is left with no option but to take some concrete measures for expanding its social base. We are perceived as a Yadav-centric party though we have always been inclusive. We have catered to all communities and giving the ticket to a Nishad is not an exception.” 

After the rift widened in the Yadav clan last year and senior leader Shivpal Yadav was alienated, the SP’s Yadav base suffered massive erosion. This led to the party’s rout in the Assembly polls and then municipal elections. The party’s Muslim supporters are also said to be upset with Mulayam Singh’s ‘soft’ approach towards the BJP and his aversion to the Congress. The community is no longer as strongly supportive of the SP as they were two years ago.

The SP chief is now trying to repair the damage and has picked up Muslim-dominated Peace Party as an ally. The Peace Party enjoys limited influence in eastern UP and its presence on SP dais is expected to send positive signals to Muslims.