If the BSP has started the race to woo the Brahmins, its rivals are not far behind. The tug-of-war has intensified between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress with both vying to win over the minorities to their side ahead of the 2014 lok Sabha elections. It is an interesting turn of events as all political parties are locked in luring caste votes.
The BJP, which had hitherto claimed monopoly of the upper castes, finds itself in a dilemma as the BSP, SP and Congress are potential opponents today. In the last few years, there has been a marked change in the pattern of voting, especially as far as the upper castes and minorities are concerned. The BSP, which had always propagated the cause of the downtrodden and a Dalit party, has widened its mass base and changed tack from Bahujan Samaj to Sarva Samaj.
The BSP chief Mayawati, who rose to power on the plank of being a Dalit ki beti, felt the need to rope in the Brahmins in order to romp home. She set up Brahmin bhaichara committees and distributed tickets to a large number of Brahmins in the last Vidhan Sabha elections. True to her calculations, she won these elections with a thumping majority since all sections of society, mainly the upper caste, as well as the minorities voted for the BSP.
However in the last lok Sabha elections, the BSP Sarva Samaj formula failed to click and the party’s Brahmin face, party MP and national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra, fell from Behenji’s grace and all the bhaichara committees were dissolved.
Now, once again, Mayawati is back to roping in the Brahmins and has, in her first list of candidates for the 2014 lok Sabha elections, already distributed tickets to several of them. The party has revived its bhaichara committees and is regularly holding meetings in several districts in the State. The only difference is that even other political parties have followed in BSP’s footsteps and are holding rallies to win over the Brahmins.
Recently, the SP and Congress were engaged in a contest with each party claiming to be the bigger saviour of minorities. The Rashtriya lok Dal (RlD) also joined the battle. Meanwhile, the minority leaders are waiting and watching as all the political parties are trying to outwit one another in their effort to prove that they are better than their opponents.
Apparently, the opposition pitch of predicting a mid-term poll seems to have died down to a certain extent. Of course, it is quite a different matter that the BSP is persistently keeping up its demand of dismissing the ruling Samajwadi Party and imposing President’s rule in Uttar Pradesh.
No wonder, a political observer remarked: “Perhaps, the BSP has earned the distinction of demanding President’s rule in UP — over a dozen times during SP Government’s 14-month rule in the State. The blue brigade marches to Raj Bhawan raising its demand on any and every issue, irrespective of the fact whether it is constitutional or not.” But then, all is fair in politics.
Sceptic officers
Several bureaucrats are scheduled to return to their home State after completing their deputation at the Centre. They are sceptical about how their homecoming would be viewed. Many officers are trying to find out the work environment in the State, to see whether it has changed from the previous regime when many senior officers had made serious efforts to move out of the Hindi heartland.
After making enquires from different quarters, some officers feel that there has been a marked change in the political atmosphere in comparison to the BSP rule. They feel that there is more independence as there are less checks and balances.
Of course, some senior officers feel that despite the fact that there is more openness, it is easier to communicate with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav than with his Cabinet colleagues. Anyway, these officers are keeping their fingers crossed and hoping that all would be well in the new political set-up.
In for a revampIJ
State Congress leaders are engaged in reorganising the party in order to make it more responsive for the 2014 lok Sabha elections. This is because many leaders sitting at the Centre appear to be focused on other matters.
Occasionally, the Gandhi scions — Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra — pay flying visits to the VVIP parliamentary constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi. But for now, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul are gearing up for the Assembly elections to be held in a few States by the end of this year.
So, while the Congress State leaders are making efforts to revitalise their party ranks, leaders in New Delhi are concentrating in consolidating gains in States going to polls.