Bihar Polls: BJP brings Non-Yadav, Non-Kurmi ministers from UP for campaigning

MUZAFFARPUR: On the day when PM Narendra Modi was addressing four rallies, BJP president Amit Shah took BSP’s ex-Lok Sabha leader Dara Singh Chouhan from UP’s Ghosi in his chopper for his four rallies in constituencies going to polls in the fourth phase.

On the previous day, Chouhan flew in chopper with Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP’s election co-incharge for Bihar, for campaigning in the third phase. Chouhan has been roped in for chopper rides after the first two phases. Likewise, SPS Baghel, ex-BSP MP from UP who now heads BJP’s OBC Morcha, has been touring assembly constituencies. Baghel has been instructed by election managers to be present on the dais for Modi’s election rallies in Siwan and Bettiah on Monday.

Dara is a member of the extremely backward Nonia caste, Baghel hails from Gaderia (shepherds) community. While they have been flying in choppers and are present on dais with the PM, there are several non-Yadav, non-Kurmi leaders from UP, like Keshav Maurya, Ram Charitra Nishad, Dharmendra Kashyap, Ravindra Kushwaha, who have been roped in to comb constituencies bordering UP to rally non-Yadavs and non-Kurmis behind the NDA.

BJP election managers confide that the party has intensified its efforts to woo EBCs for the two phases and has also pressed nine-term party MLA Prem Kumar, considered the EBC face of the party, free after his election in Gaya, into service.

"Yadavs and Kurmis are dominant castes and EBCs resent their dominance. We are trying to tap this insecurity over dominance of these two castes associated with RJD and JD(U)," said a BJP election manager.