Caste is such that it does not go away.” This statement of satirist Harishankar Parsai seems to tell a lot about the ongoing elections in Uttar Pradesh. BJPSocial engineering in the 2014 and 2019 elections in UP was based on the integration of non-Yadav OBC and non-Jatav SC voters with the party’s traditional vote-base. This time, in Western Uttar PradeshSome of these affiliations are falling apart.
Jat votes seem to be getting divided, a section of non-Jatav Scheduled Castes seems to be returning to BSP, which is their tradition. Jatav Voting seems to be intact on many seats in the area. Although it is difficult to predict what effect these will have on the outcome, it seems likely that BSP There may be a triangular contest in some constituencies.
Despite being at a lower level than others, -Mayawati It seems to be making the fight harder for them. His Jatav caste, a sub-caste of Chamars, is seen standing behind him in Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida), which the BSP won in 2009. “Though most of the Jatavs here will vote for BSP, this is probably the last time we are supporting Behenji. If it doesn’t win a respectable number of seats, the votes may shift, perhaps to (Bhim Army chief) Chandrashekhar Azad,” says Brahma Pradhan of Ramgarh village in Gautam Buddha Nagar, who sports an Azad-style moustache. BSP candidate Rajendra Singh Solanki from the seat is also getting votes from his own caste Rajput, which BJP got in 2014 and 2019. “Go to Ghodi Pachera village. There is a BSP flag at every Thakur’s house there,” Pradhan said.
However, Jatav votes seem to be divided in Bulandshahr. “We will not waste our votes. On the eve of the elections, we will hold a meeting and decide who to vote for to defeat the BJP,” said Ram Singh of Janipur Khurd village on Bulandshahr-Anupshahr road. “If a Congress candidate looks strong, we will vote for the Congress,” he said. This uncertainty was missing in Gehana Govardhanpur village. “All the Jatavs here are voting for the Congress,” said Gagan Kumar, who was riding a motorcycle with ‘Jai Bhim’ written on the back and a Bhim Army flag on the front. Rama Devi from the same village quipped, “You tell us who we should vote for.” “Is it okay if I cast my vote for ‘The Hand’?” She laughed.
Brahma Pradhan said, “Jatavs moving away from BSP and Jatavs voting for Congress to defeat BJP are two different things.” “Either you met some disgruntled people or maybe it is because of Congress. . We all know that no Jatav will ever vote for SP. After Behanji lost the mandate in 2012, Gujjars from nearby villages turned this place into hell. Our women were insulted and our cattle were stolen but the police rarely took action,” he said. Deepak Kumar from the same village said, “Besides, the BSP candidate is strong.”
In Baghpat, Mayawati seems to be winning over even those voters who had deserted her and joined the BJP in 2014 and 2019. “Our Jatav sub-caste became the most politically powerful among the Scheduled Castes and it disenfranchised others. We tried BJP in 2014 and 2019 but this election we are returning to BSP,” said Bhawar Singh of Sanoli village in Baghpat, who is retired from Delhi Transport Corporation. Devendra Singh of the same village also had similar thoughts. Asked why he had turned against the BJP, Singh said the party was anti-Dalit and wanted 400 seats to “change the Constitution”.
Others said the BJP’s alliance with the Jat-dominated RLD has also alienated Dalits, who see Jats as “oppressors”. “How will they support people who have not allowed them to vote for 50 years? If some of them vote for SP, it will only be to teach the BJP a lesson,” said Anees, who was the AIMIM candidate from Chhaprauli in the assembly elections. He said, “In the 2019 elections, Akhilesh and Mayawati were in alliance and Yadav (traditional voters of SP) votes shifted while Jatavs voted for BSP where the party was contesting and where there was a SP candidate. Voted for BJP.”
Incidentally, while Jat votes may be divided in some seats, between Bulandshahr and Chhaprauli the community appeared firmly united behind the RLD. “Last time the Jats here had joined the SP alliance. Wherever RLD goes, we will vote there. These votes are for RLD, not for BJP and they have been intact since the time of Chaudhary Charan Singh,” said Sardar Singh of Kurdi village. He said, “However, our relatives are voting for SP’s Iqra Hasan in Kairana.” Laughing, he said, “I am not happy with the government, but just as Bhishma Pitamah was tied to Hastinapur, similarly the Jats are tied to Baghpat.” I am tied to RLD.
Sikandar Singh and Jai Prakash from Gahana Govardhanpur in Bulandshahr constituency said a section of Jats were voting for the Congress this time because Agniveer and unemployment were major issues among the community.
The BJP in the region seems to have retained the support of many castes that have swung towards the saffron party in recent years. Sunil Kumar, a Lodh from Kucheja village in Bulandshahr, said, “Some Lodhs may be voting for the Congress, but the BJP has the majority of votes from the community.” Lodh or Lodhi is a farming community whose biggest leader was former UP CM Kalyan Singh. “Bulandshahr is the stronghold of Lodh and Saini (Mali caste). And both these castes are with BJP. Kalyan Singh has been the MP from here,” Chandra Pal said.
Jat votes seem to be getting divided, a section of non-Jatav Scheduled Castes seems to be returning to BSP, which is their tradition. Jatav Voting seems to be intact on many seats in the area. Although it is difficult to predict what effect these will have on the outcome, it seems likely that BSP There may be a triangular contest in some constituencies.
Despite being at a lower level than others, -Mayawati It seems to be making the fight harder for them. His Jatav caste, a sub-caste of Chamars, is seen standing behind him in Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida), which the BSP won in 2009. “Though most of the Jatavs here will vote for BSP, this is probably the last time we are supporting Behenji. If it doesn’t win a respectable number of seats, the votes may shift, perhaps to (Bhim Army chief) Chandrashekhar Azad,” says Brahma Pradhan of Ramgarh village in Gautam Buddha Nagar, who sports an Azad-style moustache. BSP candidate Rajendra Singh Solanki from the seat is also getting votes from his own caste Rajput, which BJP got in 2014 and 2019. “Go to Ghodi Pachera village. There is a BSP flag at every Thakur’s house there,” Pradhan said.
However, Jatav votes seem to be divided in Bulandshahr. “We will not waste our votes. On the eve of the elections, we will hold a meeting and decide who to vote for to defeat the BJP,” said Ram Singh of Janipur Khurd village on Bulandshahr-Anupshahr road. “If a Congress candidate looks strong, we will vote for the Congress,” he said. This uncertainty was missing in Gehana Govardhanpur village. “All the Jatavs here are voting for the Congress,” said Gagan Kumar, who was riding a motorcycle with ‘Jai Bhim’ written on the back and a Bhim Army flag on the front. Rama Devi from the same village quipped, “You tell us who we should vote for.” “Is it okay if I cast my vote for ‘The Hand’?” She laughed.
Brahma Pradhan said, “Jatavs moving away from BSP and Jatavs voting for Congress to defeat BJP are two different things.” “Either you met some disgruntled people or maybe it is because of Congress. . We all know that no Jatav will ever vote for SP. After Behanji lost the mandate in 2012, Gujjars from nearby villages turned this place into hell. Our women were insulted and our cattle were stolen but the police rarely took action,” he said. Deepak Kumar from the same village said, “Besides, the BSP candidate is strong.”
In Baghpat, Mayawati seems to be winning over even those voters who had deserted her and joined the BJP in 2014 and 2019. “Our Jatav sub-caste became the most politically powerful among the Scheduled Castes and it disenfranchised others. We tried BJP in 2014 and 2019 but this election we are returning to BSP,” said Bhawar Singh of Sanoli village in Baghpat, who is retired from Delhi Transport Corporation. Devendra Singh of the same village also had similar thoughts. Asked why he had turned against the BJP, Singh said the party was anti-Dalit and wanted 400 seats to “change the Constitution”.
Others said the BJP’s alliance with the Jat-dominated RLD has also alienated Dalits, who see Jats as “oppressors”. “How will they support people who have not allowed them to vote for 50 years? If some of them vote for SP, it will only be to teach the BJP a lesson,” said Anees, who was the AIMIM candidate from Chhaprauli in the assembly elections. He said, “In the 2019 elections, Akhilesh and Mayawati were in alliance and Yadav (traditional voters of SP) votes shifted while Jatavs voted for BSP where the party was contesting and where there was a SP candidate. Voted for BJP.”
Incidentally, while Jat votes may be divided in some seats, between Bulandshahr and Chhaprauli the community appeared firmly united behind the RLD. “Last time the Jats here had joined the SP alliance. Wherever RLD goes, we will vote there. These votes are for RLD, not for BJP and they have been intact since the time of Chaudhary Charan Singh,” said Sardar Singh of Kurdi village. He said, “However, our relatives are voting for SP’s Iqra Hasan in Kairana.” Laughing, he said, “I am not happy with the government, but just as Bhishma Pitamah was tied to Hastinapur, similarly the Jats are tied to Baghpat.” I am tied to RLD.
Sikandar Singh and Jai Prakash from Gahana Govardhanpur in Bulandshahr constituency said a section of Jats were voting for the Congress this time because Agniveer and unemployment were major issues among the community.
The BJP in the region seems to have retained the support of many castes that have swung towards the saffron party in recent years. Sunil Kumar, a Lodh from Kucheja village in Bulandshahr, said, “Some Lodhs may be voting for the Congress, but the BJP has the majority of votes from the community.” Lodh or Lodhi is a farming community whose biggest leader was former UP CM Kalyan Singh. “Bulandshahr is the stronghold of Lodh and Saini (Mali caste). And both these castes are with BJP. Kalyan Singh has been the MP from here,” Chandra Pal said.
