Can caste arthimetic favour BJP in 3 eastern UP regions?
VARANASI: Will the traditionally most backward laborer castes—Rajbhar and Noniya (Chauhan)—prove to be the Sankat Mochaks (crisis alleviators) for the ruling BJP in the eight seats of the Varanasi-Mirzapur-Ballia region of eastern Uttar Pradesh?
This question is not only crossing the minds of BJP planners and local cadres but also the rival INDI alliance camp in the region, with less than 24 hours left for the last phase of Lok Sabha polls.
The possibility of consolidation of the strong most backward class, Rajbhar and Noniya voters, has rekindled the hopes of BJP candidates, particularly in Chandauli, Ghazipur, Ballia, and Salempur seats – which until a week ago seemed to be drifting towards the SP-Congress INDI alliance.
The potential support from these two castes – who generally earn their living by working in the agricultural and construction sectors – has especially raised the hopes of Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, who is facing a tough battle against ex-UP minister and INDI bloc candidate Virendra Singh. Making the battle triangular is Satyendra Maurya, who represents the Maurya OBC caste, a seat previously won four times by BJP politician Anand Ratan Maurya.
Eyeing a hat-trick of wins from the seat, which is also Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s home constituency, Pandey is already facing rising anti-in cumbency and opposition from the powerful Thakur caste voters. Pandey won the seat in 2019 by just over 13,000 votes against the then BSP-SP alliance candidate.
Chauhan’s entry into the BJP camp and his subsequent hard work for the saffron party on both Chandauli and the adjoining Ghazipur seat have improved the prospects for BJP candidates in Varanasi.
“PM Modi addressed a rally in Ghazipur recently, and a key portion of the crowd was brought by minister SBSP and the new entrant Sanjay Chauhan, showing their base,” said a journalist.
Rajbhars & Noniyas
Varanasi has been a BJP citadel since 1989. Only once in last 35 years was it won by any non-BJP candidate, Congress’s Rajesh Mishra in 2004.
Ballia has been the bastion of former PM Late Chandra Shekhar, who won the seat eight times between 1977 and 2004. His son Neeraj Shekhar who is now the BJP candidate, had won the seat twice in 2008 and 2009 as SP candidate, but lost in 2014 under SP ticket
Ghosi seat was once the citadel of ex-union and Congress politician Late Kalpanath Rai, who won the seat four times between 1989 and 1998.
General
Brahmin, Kshatriya, Bhumihar Brahmin
OBC
Yadav, Kurmi (Patel), Maurya, Kushwaha, Noniya (Chauhan) & Rajbhar