'The Great Resignation' of UP has set an interesting stage, that some say is a resurgence of Mandal vs Kamandal 바카라 mixing the caste identity politics in the Hindutva project.
Like 바카라The Great Resignation바카라 trend in the west that saw many mid-career professionals resigning after Covid-19, a very dramatic, though unrelated 바카라resignation바카라 trend is going on in UP Vidhan Sabha. Three ministers 바카라 Dharam Singh Saini, Swami Prasad Maurya, Dara Singh Chauhan and around a dozen MLA have resigned from BJP. Many of them have joined Samajwadi Party (SP).
바카라The Great Resignation바카라 of UP has set an interesting stage, that some say is a resurgence of 바카라Mandal 바카라 Caste based identity politics바카라 vs 바카라Kamandal" 바카라 mixing the caste identity politics in Hindutva project.
바카라Akhilesh Yadav has realised that he can바카라t defeat BJP, unless it has the support of non-Yadav backward castes 바카라 bringing small scale 바카라Mandal Parties바카라 in their fold would give a big social boost to SP.
Mulayam Singh was known for his outreach with non-Yadav OBC castes. He has representation from every caste in SP. But it struggled between 2012-17 to retain that leadership. Now again, Akhilesh is mobilising leadership from non-Yadav OBC and MBC to fight BJP by pitting politics of Mandal against BJP바카라s politics of Kamandal.
It all came into notice with the support of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SPSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar to SP. Rajbhars has around 18 percent votes in Purvanchal region. In districts like Ghazipur, Mau, Varanasi, Ballia, Maharajganj and Shrawasti, Ambedkarnagar, Bahraich and Chandauli, Rajbhar바카라s support is critical. The support of 바카라Mahan Dal바카라 led by Keshav Dev Maurya was also interesting. Mahan Dal claims support from Shakyas, Mauryas, Sainis and Kushwahas communities in western UP.
So now, SP has formed alliance with seven regional parties 바카라 The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Mahan Dal, Janwadi Party (Socialist), Apna Dal faction led by Krishna Patel, Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party, Akhilesh바카라s uncle Shivpal Yadav's Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party and Gondwana Gantantra Party. All these parties have support within their respective caste community and above that too.
Apart from the above mentioned more visible small-scale caste-based parties, many Most Backward Communities like Bind, Gadariya, Nishad, Prajapati, Saithwar, Teli, Sahu, Hahar, Kashyap, Kachhi, Nai, Badhayi, Panchal, Dhiman, Loniya, Noniya, Gole Thakur, Loniya Chauhan, Murao, Fakir, Lohar, Koeri, Mali, Saini, Bharbhuja, Turaha and others have also an assertive leadership, which can turn election into anybody바카라s side. Because visibility and representation of a leadership from a caste doesn바카라t mean that less represented castes are electorally irrelevant.
Beside all that, a 2018-leaked report recommending Sub-categorisation of OBC castes was a hot topic in this election. But, now that has been sidelined. Badri Narayan, professor, Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad said, 바카라this is not a big discourse now. Because if it was implemented it would have disappointed Dominant castes.바카라
Among many other recommendations of this report, one was to restrict the reservation for 바카라dominant castes바카라 in OBC 바카라 Kurmis, Jat and Yadavs to 7 percent. Kurmis who have their own party, Apna Dal, and had supported BJP in the last election. A lot of Kurmi leadership in BJP seems to be breaking its ties with BJP. RLD, a Jat party has also tendered support to SP. RLD is now also focusing on Jat- Muslim unity in western UP.
Narayan said, 바카라Om Prakash Rajbhar wanted to get that report implemented. His main discontentment is that. Had it been implemented it would have made the educated class of castes like Rajbhars, Nishads, Gadariya happy.바카라
This also suggests how 바카라Kamandal politics바카라, introduced by Former Chief minister of UP Kalyan Singh, much before Narendra Modi바카라s brand of Hindutva politics is facing a stiff challenge from Mandal Politics. Because BJP, a flagbearer of Kamandal politics is itself involved in 바카라Mandal Politics.바카라 It has formed a caste coalition with nine caste- based small parties of 바카라Hissedari Morcha바카라, a counter to the OP Rajbhar led 바카라Bhagidari Morcha바카라.
Hissedari Morcha led by Kewat Ramdhani Bind has parties like Bharatiya Manav Samaj Party, Shoshit Samaj Party, Bharatiya Suheldev Janata Party, Bharatiya Samata Samaj Party, Manavhit Party, Prithviraj Janshakti Party, and Musahar Andolan Manch aka Gareeb Party.
However, support from a caste- based party doesn바카라t mean it will ensure full political support from that caste. Narayan in his Book 바카라Republic in Hindutva바카라 writes that there is competing leadership among each caste. If a leader amasses wealth and power 바카라 a competing leadership challenging the authority of that leader also emerges.
For instance, there is not just one Rajbhar leader, there are other Rajbhar MLAs in BJP. UP deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya too represents an MBC, Maurya caste. Which poses a challenge to the leadership of Keshav dev Maurya of Mahan Dal.
Moreover, 바카라personal interests also make a caste leader irrelevant within their community바카라 says Narayan. So, expecting them to bring all votes from a particular caste is foolish.
However, another major issue around which the current mobilisation of Most Backwards communities happened is 바카라caste census바카라. These politically active castes want to know their exact number. Akhilesh has also promised that he will conduct a caste census, if voted to power. 바카라Government is counting trees, animals. Why not backward castes. I want that caste census to be done, so that backwards can get benefits as per their share in population.바카라 But this issue doesn바카라t seem to be used for mobilising voters on ground.
Interestingly, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is being ignored in this election. But, Narayan believes, 바카라BSP is still a very relevant third player.바카라 BSP had mobilised Bahujan votes very well from the time of Kanshi Ram. Main wheel remained Jatav, along with votes from other Bahujan castes which Narayan calls, 바카라Stepney votes바카라. But now, that has dwindled. A lot of these votes have gone to BJP. 바카라There are more than 50 castes of Dalits in UP. Kanshi Ram used to say, 바카라vote matt becho바카라 (don바카라t sell votes), so many used to vote BSP. Now these castes think of long-term benefits, like if a school is built in their area.바카라 Said Narayan.
Moreover, a perception that Brahmins are unhappy with Yogi Adityanath has also been given a weight by many Brahmin leaders like Satish Chandra Mishra of BSP. Yogi was accused of promoting 바카라Thakurvaad바카라, a term referring to dominance 바카라Kshatriya caste바카라, which has upset Brahmin (at least a perception is there), who wield a lot power due to their place in caste hierarchy.
The BJP is taking this perception seriously and attempting to counter it by reaching out to Brahmins from its cadres.
Also 바카라Hindutva politics바카라 is also being used from time to time. His recent 바카라80 percent vs 20바카라 percent jibe is an example of it. Clarifying 80 vs 20 Yogi Adityanath said, 바카라20 per cent are those people who oppose Ram Janmabhoomi, Kashi Vishwanath dham, grand development Mathura Vrindavan. The 20 per cent are those who sympathise with mafias and terrorists.바카라
As political pundits say, 바카라politics is a game of perceptions바카라. Everyone is doing their best to build a perception and sustain it. With time, it will become clearer how caste politics play out.