In Sandila, the BSP’s candidate selection threatens the SP’s challenge to the BJP

Despite the BJP still enjoying popularity among the Arkvanshis here, the situation has changed quite a bit since 2017

Ramu and Jitin, both Arkvanshi men, have a common grouse against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh. The fathers of both men were injured by stray bulls, adding salt to the wounds of financial loss already suffered by them because crops were damaged by these animals, which have become a menace in many rural parts of the State. 

Mr. Ramu’s father was suddenly attacked by a bull when he was crossing a road. He received injuries to his hip, chin and head. To arrange money for the treatment, Mr. Ramu had to sell off a biswa of his land. “How can I vote for these people [the BJP]? Don’t want to look at their phooti (broken eyes),” he said irritably. No free ration or cash doles from the BJP will change Ramu’s mind. Jitin, a local kotedar, narrated a similar story. His father received 17 stitches to his thigh after he was flipped up in the air by an angry bull three months ago. 

The Arkvanshis are a lesser-known caste in U.P., among the many scattered OBC communities looking for better representation and voice. This election, the focus is on them in Sandila constituency in Hardoi in central U.P. The BJP dropped its sitting MLA, a Vaishya who had alleged that he failed to get a first information report (FIR) registered against a private hospital after he lost his son to COVID-19 due to negligence, and fielded an Arkvanshi, Alka Arkvanshi. This was to counter the Samajwadi Party’s (SP) move of nominating Sunil Arkvanshi, the State president of its ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), to cash in on the decent population of Arkvanshis and other smaller communities in the constituency. In the last election, the SP lost the seat by 20,000 votes.