Restive NDA allies out to win back core caste support base

LUCKNOW: A resounding victory in the UP assembly bypolls in November enabled the BJP to bounce back from its less than expected performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but there is still unease among the party’s allies who too suffered setbacks in their strongholds in last summer’s general elections.

Now, these National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies are keen to win back their key caste support base and send a message to their constituency. For that, they are raising contentious issues like caste census, reservation in the private sector, increase in reservation, implementation of the Rohini Commission and Social Justice committee reports. The allies include Apna Dal (Sonelal), the Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (NISHAD) party and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP). The impatience among the allies to push their agenda may have caused some discomfort in the BJP.

The Apna Dal (Sonelal) demanded caste census and increase in quota in successive public meetings after the Lok Sabha election. The party is at loggerheads with the state government over the issue of alleged corruption in the appointment of departmental heads in the technical education department headed by party leader Ashish Patel.

Considered a reliable ally of the BJP, the Apna Dal (S) has influence over OBC voters, particularly the Kurmis in Central and South Uttar Pradesh. It has 13 MLAs in the state assembly and one MP in the Lok Sabha.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the Apna Dal (S) retained the Mirzapur seat but lost Robertsganj. Party chief Anupriya Patel’s victory margin declined in Mirzapur though she defeated Samajwadi Party candidate Ramesh Chand Bind by over 37,000 votes in a tough contest.

The SP’s victory in the Kurmi dominated seats of Banda, Fatehpur, Hamirpur, Kaushambi and Pratapgarh indicated a shift in Kurmi votes from the ruling NDA to the Opposition INDIA bloc. The results also underlined the weakening hold of the Apna Dal (S) on the OBCs, particularly the Kurmis.

Soon, the Apna Dal (S) amended its strategy by returning to core OBC politics.

As the fight for Kurmi support intensified, Samajwadi Party MLA from Sirathu Pallavi Patel opened a front against Ashish Patel, alleging corruption in his department and accused him of ignoring OBCs in appointments and promotions.

Another BJP ally, the Nishad party led by Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad, has launched ‘Samvidhan Adhikar Yatra’ across Uttar Pradesh, demanding the inclusion of 18 sub-castes of the riverine communities in the scheduled caste category.

“The party has raised the demand for the inclusion of Nishad, Majhwar, Kewat and Mallah communities in the Scheduled Caste category and reservation for them in government jobs accordingly,” said Sanjay Nishad.

His son Praveen Nishad lost to SP candidate Laxmikant alias Pappu Nishad in the Sant Kabir Nagar Lok Sabha seat. NDA candidates were also defeated in other riverine community majority areas -- Basti, Sultanpur, Jaunpur, Ambedkarnagar, Faizabad, Allahabad and Machhlishahr.

The Nishad party plans a show of strength in Gorakhpur, the home turf of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, on January 13.

Another BJP ally, the SBSP led by Om Prakash Rajbhar, has launched various programmes in the OBC dominated areas after the Lok Sabha election setback. His son Arvind Rajbhar lost to SP candidate Rajiv Kumar Rai in the Ghosi Lok Sabha seat by over 1.60 lakh votes. Recently, OP Rajbhar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

In a post on a social media platform, he said, “I raised the issue of reservation for the Rajbhar caste…. Also raised the issue of implementation of the Rohini Commission and Social Justice Committee report with the PM.”