Back to social engineering for BSP as it fields OBCs, upper castes, Muslims

BSP chief Mayawati fields a diverse candidate lineup for UP bypolls, including OBCs, upper castes, and Muslims, to regain political ground.

Fighting for survival in state politics, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has resorted to the social engineering formula once again and fielded two OBC, four upper castes and two Muslim candidates for the Uttar Pradesh assembly bypolls.

After the party’s defeat in the 2012 and 2022 assembly elections, as well as 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Mayawati had started working on the Dalit- Muslim formula. (HT FILE)

The party’s list of eight candidates released on Thursday includes two Muslims -- Shahnazar from Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar) and Rafatullah from Kundarki (Moradabad).

The move comes despite Mayawati having blamed Muslims for rallying around the SP- Congress alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and causing her party’s defeat. She had announced that BSP will not rely on the community and their share in ticket distribution will be cut.

After her party’s defeat in the 2012 and 2022 assembly elections, as well as 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Mayawati had started working on the Dalit- Muslim formula.

Decades before that, the BSP had successfully implemented the social engineering formula in the 2007 state assembly elections and formed a majority government in Uttar Pradesh.

This time, the BSP has also fielded two Brahmin candidates Virendra Kumar Shukla from Sisamau ( Kanpur Nagar) and Deepak Tiwari from Majhawan (Mirzapur). The support of the influential Brahmin community is likely to be decisive in both these seats.

Jitendra Kumar Singh, a Rajpur candidate, has been fielded from Phulpur (Prayagraj). Parmanand Garg, who belongs to the Vaishya community, has been fielded from Ghaziabad. Both Phulpur and Ghaziabad are considered BJP strongholds.

The BJP is relying on the support of upper castes against the SP’s PDA formula to retain both the seats.

OBC candidates belonging to the Kurmi and Shakya communities have been given the party ticket for Katehri (Ambedkarnagar) and Karhal (Mainpuri) assembly seats. The BSP has fielded Amit Verma from Katehri and Avnish Kumar Shakya from Karhal.

The role of Shakya community voters will be crucial in Karhal where two Yadav candidates -- - Tej Pratap Singh Yadav (SP) and Anujesh Yadav (BJP) – are in the fray.

In Katehri, Amit Verma is likely to cut into the votes of SP candidate Sobhawati Verma, wife of former minister Lalji Verma. A confidant of BSP chief Mayawati, Lalji Verma switched to the SP before the 2022 assembly election. He won the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Ambedkarnagar, once considered a BSP stronghold.

The BSP will field a Dalit candidate from the Khair reserved seat. BSP candidate Charu Kain was the runner-up in Khair in 2022. After the announcement of the bypolls this year, Kain joined the Congress. The SP has fielded her from Khair under the understanding with its partner.