05-12-2007, 06:57 PM
Rajesh's post above shows that in BSP, Brahmins got 51 seats while Dalits got 61 seats.
This clearly demonstrates that brahmin vote was a crucial factor in BSP victory.
I haven't yet seen any media reports talking of a "brahmin vote bank". Perhaps they are shell shocked and trying to find their bearings.
This is a decisive event after the Mandal issue which brought OBC reservations and also propelled OBC political rise with Bihar and UP leading the OBC politics.
It became a ritual for political parties to use all tricks to garner OBC votes. Even Congress recently tried hard to recapture its OBC and muslim vote banks through reservations but got stuck in the judiciary.
This victory by Mayavati has for the first time shown that UP can be won by a political party without OBC support. Remember that even BJP's last rule during Kalyan Singh relied heavily on OBC votes.
This will have important implications. Brahmin vote or upper caste vote in general, may start consolidating in vote-banks.
So, in a sense a cynical vote-bankism spanning whole caste spectrum will ensue. I personally don't like such vote banks, but given the crass caste based canvassing by politicians, such an outcome perhaps was imminent, and perhaps will lead to a better sociopolitical balance in the long run.
Another important conclusion is that hindutva, even of a soft kind, can be politically beneficial for a party. Thats why it is not only BJP which seems to be shocked, but leftists, congressis, communists all are weighing the situation.
My feeling is that communists/congress combine will try to wean Mayavati away from the Brahmin constituency, failing which, they may actually start opposing her.
Interesting times ahead.
P.S. We had quite a few posts on Lord Ganesha in recent past. Including Japanese Ganesha, to Sri Aurobindo/Mother on Ganesha and BSP's new slogan "Hathi nahin Ganesh hai, brahma vishnu mahesh hai". Looks like Mayavati managed to get the blessings of "vighna-vinAshaka" this time.
This clearly demonstrates that brahmin vote was a crucial factor in BSP victory.
I haven't yet seen any media reports talking of a "brahmin vote bank". Perhaps they are shell shocked and trying to find their bearings.
This is a decisive event after the Mandal issue which brought OBC reservations and also propelled OBC political rise with Bihar and UP leading the OBC politics.
It became a ritual for political parties to use all tricks to garner OBC votes. Even Congress recently tried hard to recapture its OBC and muslim vote banks through reservations but got stuck in the judiciary.
This victory by Mayavati has for the first time shown that UP can be won by a political party without OBC support. Remember that even BJP's last rule during Kalyan Singh relied heavily on OBC votes.
This will have important implications. Brahmin vote or upper caste vote in general, may start consolidating in vote-banks.
So, in a sense a cynical vote-bankism spanning whole caste spectrum will ensue. I personally don't like such vote banks, but given the crass caste based canvassing by politicians, such an outcome perhaps was imminent, and perhaps will lead to a better sociopolitical balance in the long run.
Another important conclusion is that hindutva, even of a soft kind, can be politically beneficial for a party. Thats why it is not only BJP which seems to be shocked, but leftists, congressis, communists all are weighing the situation.
My feeling is that communists/congress combine will try to wean Mayavati away from the Brahmin constituency, failing which, they may actually start opposing her.
Interesting times ahead.
P.S. We had quite a few posts on Lord Ganesha in recent past. Including Japanese Ganesha, to Sri Aurobindo/Mother on Ganesha and BSP's new slogan "Hathi nahin Ganesh hai, brahma vishnu mahesh hai". Looks like Mayavati managed to get the blessings of "vighna-vinAshaka" this time.