Uttar Pradesh: BSP chief Mayawati plans mega Brahmin outreach

LUCKNOW: Months ahead of the high-stakes UP assembly elections, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday whipped out the upper caste card by announcing launch of Brahmin conventions from July 23 in a deft political move by the Dalit czarina to return to her tried-and-tested social engineering formula that propelled her to power with absolute majority in 2007 state elections.
BSP’s Brahmin conclaves would kick off from Ayodhya, epicentre of Hindutva politics, under the supervision of Mayawati’s trusted aide and party’s Rajya Sabha MP Satish Chandra Mishra. Mayawati said, the decision to organise Brahmin conventions followed atrocities inflicted on the community by the BJP dispensation in UP.
“The community got swayed by tall promises and voted for BJP in 2017 assembly elections. Now, Brahmins are worried and looking for an alternative,” Mayawati said, citing the 2007 assembly elections, which witnessed a successful amalgamation of Brahmins with Dalits to catapult Mayawati to power for the first time.At the same time, the BSP supremo made a strong bid to consolidate her core Dalit vote-bank, saying she was “proud” of the SC community which was not influenced by BJP or other Opposition parties, including Congress, and voted en bloc for her party in 2017 assembly polls. Mayawati insisted it was because of Dalits that her party cornered a vote share of 22.23%, which was more than SP (21.82%). BJP had bagged a vote share of 39.67%.
“I would suggest that like Dalits, Brahmin should also back BSP. Bahut aajma liya BJP aur doosri partiyon ko. Kitna parkhoge (You have tested them enough),” Mayawati said, maintaining that when her party formed a government in 2007, she took care of the community’s interests. “I hope Brahmins will unite with BSP to ensure robust law and order mechanism, development and employment for youth,” she said.
Mayawati’s positioning vis-à-vis the Brahmin community gave further traction to speculations about Mishra being in the driver’s seat to chart the party’s electoral strategy for next year’s elections. Mishra was embroiled in a row few days ago after rebel BSP MLAs accused him of influencing Mayawati and running the party from behind curtains. Mayawati has already suspended 11 of 18 party MLAs for hobnobbing with Opposition parties.
Her stand to woo Brahmins, who account for 13% of voters in UP, is also seen as a move to make up for the Muslim vote which could potentially drift towards the Samajwadi Party amid an aggressive minority outreach by the Akhilesh Yadav-led political outfit. The entry of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaddudin Owaisi on UP’s political turf, experts said, may have made Mayawati even more apprehensive. Mayawati’s plan to consolidate the upper caste, especially Brahmin, analysts said, may also be driven by BJP’s aggressive pitch for Hindu consolidation which could wean away the OBC community from Mayawati’s vote base.