Union minister J P Nadda at BJP helm to woo Brahmins?

LUCKNOW: The BJP leadership’s move to appoint Union minister J P Nadda as UP in charge for Lok Sabha elections is being seen as its strategy to consolidate the core Brahmin vote bank. With two Brahmins, in Nadda as in charge and Mahendra Nath Pandey as state party chief, BJP aims to retain its vote bank of upper castes ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

The appointment comes close after BJP’s recent defeat in Hindi heartland states of MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, where Congress made inroads into its core vote bank.

UP BJP leaders said that Nadda’s appointment will help lessen resentment among upper castes after the Centre amended SC/ST Act. Experts said that BJP cannot lose its Brahmin and Thakur voters who together comprise 15% of voting population in UP as Congress is already mulling to bring in a Brahmin face to head its state party unit before elections.

“Every party is going back to basics. SP is consolidating its core Yadav vote bank, BSP is doing the same with Dalit vote bank. Therefore, consolidating upper caste votes could be one reason for BJP’s decision of bringing in Nadda,” said political expert JP Shukla.

Nadda, a Rajya Sabha MP from Himachal Pradesh, is learnt to have been the choice of top BJP leadership including PM Narendra Modi. Having an RSS background, Nadda has headed Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha and therefore can connect directly with the youth leadership, said party sources.

Nadda will also play a pivotal role in distribution of tickets in Lok Sabha polls.