A realpolitik appraisal of the ‘Mandal-Kamandal’ fight in UP

The BJP, on the other hand, has always claimed that Mandal-based parties such as the SP have only helped their own causes (for instance, the Yadavs in both Bihar and UP) in the name of social emancipation after capturing power.

The Uttar Pradesh elections seem to be resurrecting the past memories of Mandal versus Kamandal contest only at the level of polemics. After chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yogi Adityanath’s claim of the polls being an 80% versus 20% (read Hindu versus Muslim) contest, Yogi’s former cabinet colleague Swami Prasad Maurya, who deserted the BJP to join the Samajwadi party (SP), claimed the election was actually a fight between 85% versus 15% (read non-upper caste Hindus and Muslims versus upper castes). The Mandal-Kamandal binary and its various mutations have defined politics in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for three decades now.

A realpolitik appraisal of the ‘Mandal-Kamandal’ fight in UP (Picture for representation purpose)

Average assets of MLAs and candidates

Caste-wise share of candidates for four major parties in 2017 Uttar Pradesh

Caste-wise average assets of candidates and MLAs