Ahead of UP polls, BSP leader tells Brahmins to foster ‘bhaichara’ with Dalits

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Satish Chandra Mishra on Sunday rooted for a Brahmin-Dalit formula and called upon Uttar Pradesh’s Brahmins to foster ‘bhaichara’ (brotherhood) with Dalits to ensure his party’s victory in the upcoming state polls.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Satish Chandra Mishra on Sunday rooted for a Brahmin-Dalit formula and called upon Uttar Pradesh’s Brahmins to foster ‘bhaichara’ (brotherhood) with Dalits to ensure his party’s victory in the upcoming state polls.

A supporter displays a cutout of the BSP symbol at party rally. With the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections early next year, its a heated battle among parties looking to cash in on the many vote banks.(File Photo)

Addressing a ‘bhaichara workers’ meeting, the BSP national general secretary said Brahmins would not be able to alter the state’s political fortunes on their own as they constituted a small proportion of UP’s population.

“Brahmins are not in a position to form a government on their own and they need support of other communities to capture power. If they ally with the Dalits, who constitute 24% of the population, the combination can form a government with ease.”

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Despite heavy rain, a large number of Brahmins came out to welcome Mishra, who claimed that Mayawati had reached out to members of the community during her tenure as the chief minister.

“When Mayawati was the CM, 15 Brahmins were ministers in her cabinet, 1,000 Brahmins lawyers were made district government counsel, a dozen Brahmins were members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha”, he said.

Launching an attack on the BJP, Mishra said, “Amit Shah considers Brahmins an enemy. He is leaving no stone unturned to humiliate leaders from the community. Leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalraj Mishra and Laxmikant Bajpai have been sidelined, while Keshav Maurya, who has been charged in a dozen criminal cases, has been made BJP’s state president.”

He also accused the state’s ruling Samajwadi Party of ignoring Brahmin leaders. “The condition of Brahmins is no better in SP. Leaders like Manoj Pandey have been deserted whereas the likes of Pandit Singh and Gayatri Prajapati, who are accused in corruption cases, have been reinstated as ministers,” he said.