Jatavs vs non-Jatavs, Mayawati’s losing grip & Akhilesh’s Ambedkarite outreach: The Dalit conundrum in UP
India Today
With Mayawati's grip slipping and Akhilesh Yadav's Ambedkarite outreach, who will the Dalits vote for in the Uttar Pradesh elections?
As polling approaches in Uttar Pradesh, all eyes are on the crucial Dalit vote, which accounts for 21 per cent of the state’s population. Dalits have been loyal backers of Kanshi Ram and later the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party.
However, a section of Dalits has over the years been veering towards the BJP; leaders like Chandrashekhar Azad (aka Ravan) are threatening to make inroads among the SC youth; and Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party is also hoping to get sizeable numbers in an increasingly bipolar election.
There are 85 reserved seats for SCs in UP and they may well decide who forms the government in the state. In 2007, BSP won 61; in 2012, SP bagged 58; while the BJP+ won 72 in 2017. Hardoi and Allahabad districts have the highest number of reserved seats, at three each.
With 54 per cent of the Dalit population, Jatavs dominate the SC vote. Mayawati hails from this community. Jatavs are followed by Pasis (16 per cent) and Dhobis (6 per cent). Pasis, Dhobis, Koris, Khatiks, Dhanuks and other SCs are called non-Jatavs and account for 46 per cent of the Dalit population.
Read | Who will win Uttar Pradesh election? Clue lies in seats reserved for Dalits
Both Jatavs and non-Jatavs have largely backed the BSP since its inception, except during the peak of the Ram Mandir movement. However, since 2014, BJP has made a significant dent into BSP’s non-Jatav vote bank, accusing Mayawati of favouring her ‘jaati’ in positions within the party and in cornering most reservation jobs and schemes benefits.
In 2017, while Mayawati retained the Jatav vote with 86 per cent support (similar to 2007 when she won), BJP bagged 31 per cent of the non-Jatav support.