BJP bets big on non-Yadav OBCs in UP Assembly polls

NEW DELHI: With just over a dozen more BJP candidates to be announced for the UP assembly elections, it has become clear that the party has given preference to non-Yadav OBCs, fielding over 35% candidates from this group. A cursory glance suggests that at least 130 of the 370 candidates, including 67 names announced on Tuesday, are non-Yadav OBC candidates.

The BJP has not given a caste-wise break-up of candidates. Of the remaining 33 seats where the party is yet to announce candidate, a sizeable chunk will be allotted to Apna Dal and Bhartiya Samaj Party which derive core support again from the backward Kurmi and Rajbhar castes, respectively.

The BJP has steered away from the mistake it committed in Bihar and has fielded less than a dozen candidates from the Yadav community. Yadavs form the core voters of the Samajwadi Party.


In Bihar, where the community is perceived to traditionally vote for the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the BJP had fielded 22 Yadav candidates in about 160 seats. With Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav emerging as the undisputed leader of the Samajwadi Party, the BJP has decided not to bid high on the Yadav community.

Among OBCs, the party’s favourite seems to be the Koeri (with Maurya, Kushwaha, Shakya, Saini surnames) community, Kurmi (with Chaudhary, Verma surnames), Lodh-Rajput (with Singh, Lodhi, Rajput surnames), Nishad (with Bind, Kashyap, Nishad surnames) and Jats.

Apart from these major non-Yadav OBCs, the BJP’s candidate list has also sought to woo Rajbhars, Baghels and Nonias by fielding leaders from these communities as BJP candidate.

BJP is yet to announce a single Muslim candidate. Tuesday’s list includes ex-BSP stalwarts Swami Prasad Maurya (Padrauna) and RK Chaudhary (Mohanlalganj) and exstate unit chief Suryapratap Shahi (Pathardewa). Party veterans OP Singh and Jyotsana Srivastava’s sons have been fielded from Chunar and Varanasi Cantt, respectively.