ET poll for 2014 election: Caste politics to hold sway in Uttar Pradesh

The ET survey suggests that caste and identity-based politics will continue to hold sway in Uttar Pradesh even as many respondents have mentioned roads, corruption and power supply as some of the key concerns that need urgent attention.

With just up to 4 per cent respondents saying that caste and religion will not at all be a serious factor in the general elections, political parties may well have a compelling reason to engage in social engineering and mobilisation along these lines.

The recent communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar exposed the fragility of social alliances. In the aftermath of the riots, it can be expected that various communities and groupings will be inclined to vote for the parties that are seen as protectors of their interests.



Recent studies on voting behaviour of the electorate in UP have revealed that people tend to back the party that represents their respective social group. The dramatic expansion of the Bahujan Samaj Party in the state clearly indicates that the party has come to represent the interests of Dalits, who, along with the Muslims, once formed the core of the Congress’ social rainbow.

Muslims, who account for a sizeable share of the electorate, are no longer willing to be considered the vote bank of a particular party. They have been demanding a role that will provide them the opportunity to exercise influence in the larger polity. The two national parties, therefore, need to reconcile the conflicting aspirations of caste groupings.

The survey suggests that this will be a tall order. For instance, the Congress’ image as a pro-Muslim party is responsible for alienating it from the dominant Hindu groups.