Take a closer look at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s pattern of ticket allocation for the upcoming civic polls, and it appears that the party has launched a new experiment - that of not considering the ever-important 'caste factor' in the fielding of candidates.
The party seems to have chosen its 192 candidates for the AMC elections without having given a thought to which community dominates over which ward. And if this experiment proves successful, it is likely that the same strategy will be implemented during the 2012 assembly polls as well.
The caste factor has always been considered crucial during elections, of all kinds. Political parties tend to choose candidates that represent the community or caste dominating a particular area or ward. In rural and semi-urban areas especially, these calculations are considered very vital in the creating and sustaining of vote banks.
However, this time, the saffron party has chosen to overlook this all-important caste equation. Sources in the party claim that tickets have been given to loyalists of top BJP leaders. Some party workers, who had approached the party office with a demand that the more 'active' leaders be given a chance instead, also put forth allegations of corruption.
"We are astonished at the number of people who secured tickets because of their proximity to BJP leaders. The party has ignored many committed, active workers in the process," said a source.
"The party has completely ignored the caste factor. It seems that the lotus appeal and the 'development' image of CM Narendra Modi are what the party is banking on instead, to win the elections," the source said.
To cite an example, the party has not given a ticket to any Dalit in the Saijpur area, despite a large presence of Dalits in the area. The votes of the Patels of Uttar Gujarat in Krishnanagar are crucial, but the BJP has fielded a Jain and a Saurashtra Patel candidate instead. There are as many as 10,000 Patel voters in the Noblenagar ward, but all the three candidates fielded are from other communities. The same situation prevails in the Naroda Road area as well.
Many in the party feel that the tickets should instead have been given on the bases of caste and community only.
