UP chief minister Mayawati is now trying to duplicate the same in Maharashtra by taking advantage of factionalism prevailing in the rank and file of the dalits.
MUMBAI: After successfully experimenting with the social engineering concept in Uttar Pradesh, the BSP leader and UP chief minister Mayawati is now trying to duplicate the same in Maharashtra by taking advantage of factionalism prevailing in the rank and file of the dalits.
In a massive rally that was held at the historic Shivaji Park in Dadar recently Mayawati asked the people of Maharashtra to take a cue from Uttar Pradesh and follow their pattern wherein all sections of the people including Dalits, backward classes and even upper castes have joined hands with the BSP.
Going by the rousing response that she received at the rally especially from dalits and other backward classes, political analysts assume that the emergence of BSP as a strong force could change the political equations in Maharashtra.
The BSP president promised reservation for Dalits and backward classes in the private sector, separate reservations for religious minorities and also quota for economically weaker sections among the upper castes, while addressing the rally. She said all successive Central governments whether it was of BJP or Congress were against granting of reservations to Dalits and other backward people in the private sector.
"But BSP is the only party which is committed to ensure that they get reservations in private sectors," she said.
The reason she has chosen Maharashtra after Uttar Pradesh is not far to seek. This state is the home state of the dal it leader Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and is also the most populous state after Uttar Pradesh.
But to duplicate the UP pattern in Maharashtra is not going to be an easy task for Mayawati as the ground realities in Maharashtra are quite different than UP. Uttar Pradesh, which is the most populous state in India has 13 per cent Brahmins whereas in Maharashtra they constitute just three per cent.
Hence they can hardly constitute a vote bank for Mayawati's BSP. In the rally Mayawati outlined her plan of wresting power in Delhi by cobbling together the support of all sections of the society into the BSP fold. Accusing the national parties like the Congress and the BJP of using the dalits and the backward class people as vote bank and then dumping them, she said only the BSP has the commitment to uplift all sections of the society.
While it is too early to predict as to what extent Mayawati will succeed in her venture of social engineering in Maharashtra, one thing is certain---her idea has rattled the faction-ridden dalit leadership.
For instance, Ramdas Athawale who heads the RPI faction with the largest dalit following has hit back at Mayawati by accusing her of taking the dalits back to the Brahmins by wooing them.
While addressing the rally at the Shivaji Park Mayawati made it a point to see that she did not utter any negative comments about the dalit leader even though the biggest problem with dalits in Maharashtra has been a lack of vision among the leaders, petty politics and infighting.
Though dalits constitute nearly 15 per cent of population in Maharashtra, it is the parties like Congress which has benefited most from them.
Mayawati is pinning her hopes to turn the frustration of the dalits and backward class people to her advantage by rallying them around her BSP.
A major part of her speech was devoted to crticising the Congress and the BJP for taking the dalits and the backward caste people for a ride.
She specifically mentioned how Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde was suddenly made a Chief Minister in Maharashtra when the party wanted to consolidate their dalit vote banks and then suddenly sidelined him when the purpose was served.
Now she wants to be a force to be reckon with in Maharashtra by asking the people of this state to follow the "Uttar Pradesh Pattern." For this she made it amply clear that she was not against the upper caste and did not hesitate in promising reservation for the economically weaker sections of the upper caste people if her party comes to power at the centre.
In order to woo the upper castes, Mayawati has switched tracks from "Tilak, Taraju aur Talwar, maro unko jhoote char" (beat up Brahmins, Vaishyas and Kshatriyas) to "Haathi nahin Ganesh hain, Brahma Vishnu Mahesh hain" (It is not elephant but Lord Ganesh, symbolising all gods and communities).
To what extent Mayawati succeeds in her attempt of social engineering in Maharashtra will become clear only after the 2009 assembly elections in Maharashtra.
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