BSP revives 2007 Dalit-Brahmin formula, hopes to unseat Yogi in 2022 polls

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is looking to recreate the Dalit-Brahmin chemistry for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The party had used the same formula in 2007 assembly polls in which it won a majority.

With about 18-months left for UP polls, BSP’s Brahmin face, Satish Chandra Mishra has started holding meetings of Brahmins district committees to mobilise them in favour of BSP.

In the last two months, Mishra, also party’s national general secretary, has chaired meetings of 73 such committees in which an impressive number of Brahmins participated.

“Except for a few districts of west UP, the Brahmin committee meetings of east UP, central UP and Bundelkhand regions have been concluded. The party is getting an immense response, similar to what we got in 2007 assembly elections,” said Mishra.

He added that the meetings were a success despite the restrictions in place due to Covid-19 guidelines. “Due to Covid-19, the meetings have been organized according to the government guidelines. Batches of hundred influential Brahmin community members participated in each meeting to ensure social distancing and were told to hold meetings of the community in their areas,” Mishra said.

“I will hold meetings of the Brahmin community in all 403 assembly segments after October 15 when the central government is expected to announce fresh guidelines for political and social meetings and after which I will plan the next round of the meetings across UP,” he said, giving a glimpse of his planned outreach to the influential community.

BSP is also contesting the bypolls on all the seven assembly seats in the state. It has also declared its candidates on six seats, where Mishra is leading the party campaign. Party leaders and office bearers have been directed to mobilise their resources for the bypolls in which the BSP is anxious to do well. Of the 7 assembly seats due for bypolls, BJP held six while the Samajwadi Party had held one.

“Riding on the social engineering formula the BSP grabbed power in the 2007 assembly election. It went for pre-poll alliance with Samajwadi Party in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and due to the Dalit-Yadav combination, the party managed to secure victory on 10 seats. BSP enjoys considerable support over the Dalit voters and it’s evident from the fact that in 2014 Lok Sabha, 2017 assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it polled anywhere between 21% to 19% votes,” said AK Saxena, a political analyst.