Gurjars, who erupted recently demanding their Scheduled Tribe status in Rajasthan, have threatened to shift their loyalties to Mayawati's BSP.
JAIPUR: Gurjars, who erupted recently demanding their Scheduled Tribe status in Rajasthan, have threatened to shift their loyalties to Mayawati's BSP.
The pamphlet that called Gurjars for agitation and blockading highways, expressed frustration with the BJP and Vasundhara Raje government and warned the state's two major parties, BJP and Congress, against forcing them into Mayawati's camp.
The pamphlet was released for Gurjar Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti (GASS), by Ramsingh Prabhakar, national secretary of the All India Gurjar Mahasabha.
Mayawati had advocated the Scheduled Tribe status for Gurjars at a rally held in Jaipur, the pamphlet recalled. It seems, following the boost to her image after her victory in Uttar Pradesh, the BSP leader has emerged as a viable option, as some sort of a 'saviour' for all those unhappy with parties they owed affiliation to.
In Rajasthan, the BSP, from being a 'state party' with no seats in the Assembly till 1993, emerged as a 'national party' with two seats in both 1998 and 2003 state elections, with her vote percentage going up gradually but steadily to reach 4 per cent of the total in the state as a whole, but higher in her area of influence.
The BJP has so far looked on indulgently, since the BSP's growth would cut into votes of the Congress, the main rival. But, as in Uttar Pradesh, there could be the beginning of a 'sarv samaj' base in Rajasthan as well, with Brahmin Mahasabha also flirting with BSP. The Brahmins have been demanding reservation on economic criteria, the kind Mayawati spoke in favour of in UP, reiterating it in a meeting held on June 9-10.
The BSP was already building a base in the state, focusing on SCs and STs, with special attention to Meenas. Both the present BSP MLAs are from the Meena community, which has a total of 31 MLAs, three of them in Congress.
The remaining are in BJP. The Vasundhara Raje government faces the tricky situation of trying to retain both the Gurjar and Meena support.
The Vasundhara Raje - Col Kirori Singh Bhainsla agreement of June 4 notwithstanding, tempers and anti-Raje sentiments continue to run high amongst the Gurjars. The ire of Gurjars against Vasundhara Raje government is evident and encompasses the community all over, as seen in burning of her effigies and angry protests. This was fuelled further by scenes of rejoicing and celebration by Raje's Meena ministers.
Two Gurjar Mahapanchayats after the Raje-Bhainsla agreement expressed dissatisfaction with the accord. The one held in Kota resolved to prevent Raje from entering her constituency.
The suspension of two Gurjar MLAs for being present at this meeting, followed by raking up of an old case against relatives of one of them, has further alienated the community.
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