Parties scramble for support of Brahmins ahead of 2022 polls in Uttar Pradesh | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Parties scramble for support of Brahmins ahead of 2022 polls in Uttar Pradesh

Jul 20, 2021 04:09 PM IST

Opposition parties have highlighted alleged atrocities on Brahmins, who are believed to account for around 11% of the state’s population, in the run-up to the elections. The ruling BJP has sought to counter this by having leaders from the community talk about initiatives undertaken for it

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati’s announcement of a series of Brahmin meets from July 23 has triggered a scramble for seeking the support of the community ahead of the 2022 polls in Uttar Pradesh.

A Parshuram temple inaugurated by SP leader Abhishek Mishra in Ballia district of eastern UP. (Sourced)
A Parshuram temple inaugurated by SP leader Abhishek Mishra in Ballia district of eastern UP. (Sourced)

Opposition parties have highlighted alleged atrocities on Brahmins, who are believed to account for around 11% of the state’s population, in the run-up to the elections. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sought to counter this by having leaders from the community talk about initiatives undertaken for it.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The BSP, which formed the government on its own in the state in 2007 with support from Brahmins, has rushed Nakul Dubey to Ayodhya to oversee arrangements for the party’s first Brahmin meet on Friday.

“Ram...belongs to all,” said Dubey when asked about the choice of Ayodhya, where the Ram Temple is being built in place of the demolished Babri Mosque, for the first Brahmin meet.

Congress leader Aradhana Mishra said her party is the only one to have given Brahmin chief ministers to Uttar Pradesh. She wondered if any political party would declare a Brahmin as the chief ministerial candidate.

Bhagwan Parshuram Trust, an organisation backed by Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Abhishek Mishra, has begun the construction of Parshuram temples in each district of Uttar Pradesh. Parshuram, a Brahmin saint, is believed to have been an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath last year criticised the Opposition over its ploy to project Parshuram as a Brahmin, saying both “Ram and Parshuram were incarnations of Lord Vishnu.”

Also Read | Liquid lessons: What can we learn from the world’s oldest water?

Abhishek Mishra said some of the temples have already come up, where priests are conducting rituals. “Once temples are constructed in all the districts, we plan to build 108 feet statue of Lord Parshuram.” He said in 1993, the SP government declared a holiday on Parshuram’s birthday.

BJP leader Sunil Bharala too has announced Brahmin meets under the aegis of his the Rashtriya Parshuram Parishad.

Adityanath, a Kshatriya, will lead the BJP in the polls. Akhilesh Yadav, an Other Backward Class (OBC) leader, is the SP’s face, and Mayawati, a Dalit, that of the BSP.

Kshatriyas account for about 9% of the population while OBCs are the single largest voting bloc (50%). Dalits and Muslims comprise 20% and 19% of the state’s population.

In the 2017 polls, the Congress initially projected former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, a Brahmin, as the party’s face before it forged an alliance with the SP.

Aradhana Mishra insisted the Congress does not believe in caste politics. “It is not in our DNA, but we would like to know which other political party, apart from the Congress, has given Brahmin chief ministers.”

The late ND Tiwari, a Brahmin, headed the last Congress government in Uttar Pradesh in 1989.

Also Read | Cyber crime cell of Lucknow police nabs five for posing as bank officials

Mayawati last year announced the BSP will set up hospitals in the name of Lord Parshuram if the party is voted to power.

Aslam Raini, who was among the seven BSP lawmakers to be suspended for the party last year, questioned Mayawati’s strategy. “There was a time when Brahmin leaders like Brajesh Pathak were with Mayawati. Now, she does not have any support of Brahmins who are backing the SP now,” said Raini.

Pathak, who is among nine Brahmin ministers in the state government, was the first convenor of BSP’s Brahmin Sabha set up in 2004.

In 2017, when BJP won 312 seats in a 403-member House, 58 Brahmin lawmakers won on the party’s tickets. The number is more than the strength of SP (47), BSP (19), and Congress (seven) in the assembly.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inducted Ajay Kumar Mishra, a Brahmin from Uttar Pradesh, in his council of ministers this month. Adityanath too is expected to induct Brahmin Jitin Prasada in his ministry.

Prasada in 2020 floated Brahmin Chetna Parishad to highlight alleged atrocities on Brahmins under Adityanath’s rule. He has since defected to the BJP from Congress.

Umesh Dwivedi, a BJP lawmaker, said they plan to introduce a host of measures for Brahmins. “...fund education of children from poor Brahmin families, help community members fight cases registered against them,” he said. Dwivedi’s Akhil Bhartiya Brahmothan Mahasabha will back the initiatives.

BJP Member of Parliament Harish Dwivedi called Mayawati attempts to reach out to the Brahmins a futile effort. “Brahmins are with the BJP and 2022 (elections) would prove that again.”

Political observer Irshad Ilmi said among upper castes, Brahmins appear to be a top priority for all parties. “I would not be surprised if the community gets sizeable tickets.”

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    Manish Chandra Pandey is a Lucknow-based Senior Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times’ political bureau in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Along with political reporting, he loves to write offbeat/human interest stories that people connect with. Manish also covers departments. He feels he has a lot to learn not just from veterans, but also from newcomers who make him realise that there is so much to unlearn.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On