Keeping up with UP: Pressure tactics before 2027 polls begin with caste meetings

APlane section of ruling Bharatiya Janata company (BJP) lawmakers and littler allies, with modified work, have started pressure tactics ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. These pressure groups are being built on caste lines, while the BJP has sought to unify Hindus as a voting bloc since the 1990s.The party’s focus on Hindu unity was reflected in chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s statement “batoge toh katoge”, figuratively warning against the consequences of divisions. The BJP has accused its rivals of fragmenting Hindu votes. Its ideological fount, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, has been at the forefront of calls for Hindu unity. The caste-based mobilisation could frustrate these efforts.BJP’s Rajput leaders and lawmakers first held a meeting in Lucknow purportedly to celebrate the victory of Ramveer Singh in the by-election to the Muslim-dominated Kundarki in November 2024. The BJP wrested the seat after three decades. Similar meetings of Kurmis, Lodhs, and Brahmins followed. These caste groups were seen as the BJP’s supporters even before the party’s post-2014 rise under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.Union minister Rajnath Singh and Yogi Adityanath have been two key BJP Rajput leaders. The leadership of the late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the movement for the Ram Temple construction were important factors for the Brahmin support for the BJP.The BJP remains the first preference of these castes. Lodhs have been BJP supporters since the days of the late chief minister Kalyan Singh.It is not unusual for lawmakers to meet during the assembly sessions. But meetings on caste lines have been rare in almost all political parties. Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram was the first to hold caste rallies. He would refer to the castes of the top officials from public platforms.The Opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) has been holding meetings of castes since it formulated PDA or Pichhde (backward classes), Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (minorities) social coalition of the marginalised.Adityanath is said to be livid over the caste-based meetings of the BJP leaders. The meeting of the 40 Rajput leaders triggered speculation about their intent to display their strength to the party leadership. Some observers connected the meeting with Kshatriya Panchayats in western Uttar Pradesh before the 2024 national elections. Poor representation in ticket distribution was among the issues raised at these meetings.Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah have lauded Adityanath but failed to quell the speculation about his possible shift to Delhi. Adityanath is not a leader who could be shifted without his consent.A party leader, on condition of anonymity, said he is unlikely to be asked to shift before the 2027 assembly elections. Adityanath is seen to be the only leader with an edge over SP leader Akhilesh Yadav.Rajputs are generally concerned about their poor representation in the Cabinet, the party organisation, and a drop in the number of their lawmakers. The pending changes in the organisation after the appointment of the new party chief and the rumoured Cabinet reshuffle are also possible reasons behind the sudden spurt in the show of strength. Many believe some Kurmi ministers may be dropped, and thus the effort was aimed at consolidating the positions of some leaders.A second leader said many outsiders have joined the party and do not know the BJP’s culture, ethics, and values. He added that such pressure tactics never pay and that the responsibilities of every party leader are reshuffled from time to time, and nothing should be taken for granted.Independent lawmaker Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, who is known to have sway over Rajput legislators irrespective of the parties they belong to, played down their meeting. He called it a social get-together. He admitted that a majority of those who attended the dinner were Rajputs, but they had no agenda.Smaller allies Nishad Party, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, Apna Dal, and Rashtriya Lok Dal organised a gathering in Delhi, citing the principle of “United we rise, divided we fall.” They dubbed themselves PDA within the ruling coalition as they belong to the backward castes.