In western Uttar Pradesh where the stakes are high, the Bahujan Samaj Party is relying heavily on the Dalit-Muslim combination, if its ticket selection is any indication. The region has a dense population of the two social groups, who make up 40 per cent of the State’s electorate.
Fifty-four out of the 100 candidates fielded by the BSP in 20 districts of west U.P., parts of which were affected by deadly riots in September 2013, belong to the Dalit and Muslim communities. If BSP leader Mayawati has fielded 18 Dalits, including 17 on reserved seats, she has nominated as many as 36 Muslims in the region.
The BSP released the 100 names here on Thursday. The party would release the next instalment on Friday.
The list includes Kazim Ali Khan ‘Nawab,’ MLA from Swar-Tanda in Rampur, who switched sides from the Congress a few months ago, and MLA from Budhana Nawazish Alam Khan, who came from the SP, and will now contest from Mirapur in the communally sensitive Muzaffarnagar district. Senior BSP leader and one of its Brahmin faces, Ramveer Upadhyay, will contest from Saidabad in Hathras.
Caste mix
Revealing her cards, Ms. Mayawati on Tuesday laid out the caste mix of the 403 candidates she finalised for the coming polls. As part of her strategy to reach out to Muslims, she fielded a dozen more Muslims (97) this time than she did in 2012. The largest chunk of the ticket was, however, still allocated to the upper castes, 113 (66 Brahmins, 36 Kshatriyas and 11 from the Vaishya, Kayastha and Khatri communities).
The representation of the backward communities was also reduced this time, with Ms. Mayawati fielding 106 OBCs this time, against the 113 in 2012. The number of Dalits has also marginally decreased, from 88 in 2012 to 87 in 2017. These include 85 reserved seats. Ms. Mayawati has given Kshatriyas a better deal. Their ticket increased from 33 to 36.
