Development sidelined as 35% Yadav caste dominates in Mulayam's constituency Mainpuri

MAINPURI: There is neither a wave in favour of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi nor an adverse impact of Muzaffarnagar riots discernible in Mainpuri to keep the Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav from sailing through his constituency in the upcoming LS elections.

Opposition leaders rue that caste equations are too decisive a factor in the Yadav stronghold. Yadavs account for about 35 per cent of the total 12.13 lakh voters while the rest include Shakya, Thakurs, Brahmins, Scheduled Castes and Muslim communities. The merger of Jaswantnagar seat into Mainpuri during the last delimitation drive has made Yadav’s position all the more indomitable.

“Inflation, corruption, infrastructure are non-issues. Caste factor runs deep and Mulayam has played it well, by inducting a Shakya minister (Alok Shakya) from one of Mainpuri assembly segment into his cabinet,” said veteran journalist and political observer Anil Mishra.

Yadav’s rivals may, however, get to derive some solace from his narrowing victory margin, which was 7 per cent lower in 2009 compared with 2004 and may dip further.

Yet, Mishra said, “The SP government’s non-performance will have its impact in various other parts of the state, and they will get a rude shock elsewhere. But Mainpuri stands firm behind Mulayam Singh.” Mishra added that the Bahujan Samaj Party would be the closest contestant and the BJP “a poor third” in the race.

Local Samajwadi Party leaders, who point out that Mainpuri is more developed than Sonia Gandhi’s Raibareilly constituency, are even projecting the SP chief as a prime ministerial candidate. “Third Front will shatter the dreams of Modiled NDA in 2014, and Netaji (Mulayam ) will hoist the National Flag at Red Fort,” said Sanjeev Yadav, chairman of Karhal Nagarpalika in Mainpuri.

The Karhal leader blamed the media for focusing on other parties. “The media will train cameras only on the BJP rallies or the AAP protests. Wait and see how Baba Hardev Singh (AAP’s candidate from Mainpuri) loses his deposit,” said Sanjeev Yadav. Analysts say the BSP is unlikely to benefit from the shift of Muslim votes into its kitty since the minority community accounts for just about 2 per cent votes.