- BJP inducts Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in UP poll panel.
- Aims to secure Savarna vote bank and regional influence.
- Counters Samajwadi Party's growing sway in Uttar Pradesh.
Bharatiya Janata Party has started its preparation for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, which are expected to be held within the next six months. From household outreach to rally blitz by PM Narendra Modi, the party is strategising to pull voters' support to form the government for the third time. The strategy also involves sorting caste and regional equations by persuading strong leaders like Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was kept at bay since the allegations over wrestlers' harassment surfaced.
On October 29, the BJP revamped its state executive, a top poll panel, bringing in Singh for the first time. The induction is considered a major step by the saffron party as it comes three months after Singh's acquittal in the harassment case and puts him in the list that includes PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and CM Yogi Adityanath.
Singh's influence
Singh, a six-time MP, was denied the party ticket in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party instead made his son, Karan Bhushan Singh, the Kaisarganj nominee. Reports of discontent soon started creating buzz within the party and UP. Singh's softened stance on the Samajwadi Party and a similar response from Akhilesh Yadav further fueled speculation of being unhappy with the party.
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On relations with Akhilesh Yadav, Brij Bhushan had said, "I have a personal relationship with him. I do not speak against him, and he does not speak against me. I am in the BJP, and he is an SP leader."
Reacting to his remarks, Akhilesh had said that his personal terms were 'very good' and it remained with the former MP to decide if he wants to wear either a green or a saffron scarf.
Although Singh never uttered a word hinting at joining the Samajwadi Party, the kind of influence he exerts in the region could have made the BJP wary of his discontent.
BJP's latest move could be guided by an intent to keep Singh's regional influence intact in favour of the party, especially after a setback in MLC elections in Varanasi and a neck-and-neck fight win in Gorakhpur.
Savarna vote in sight
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's induction is also seen by political pundits as a measure by the saffron party to prevent disintegration of its traditional 'savarna' vote bank in the poll-bound state after it faced criticism over the UGC notification and the SC-ST Act.
Singh himself took a tough stance on core issues raised by the upper caste communities. In a public address during a Ramnavmi event in Patna this year, Singh called Muslims and Savarnas the only two groups treated as villains. He noted that political parties tend to align with Muslims; upper-caste people are left without a dedicated political voice.
He has also been raising the issue of the alleged misuse of the SC/ST Act. Singh even criticised the caste-based census, which has been announced by the PM Modi-led BJP government.
Samajwadi Party's growing influence
The BJP's move to placate Brij Bhushan goes beyond just savarna voters and is considered to be an attempt to quell Samajwadi Party's growing influence among the region and upper-caste voters. Samajwadi Party's move to make inroads in Kaisarganj during his alleged discontent may have left BJP restless. On October 15, Block Pramukh Bhawani Bhikh Shukla, a close aide of Brij Bhushan, joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) with his family.
Besides, Uttar Pradesh roughly has 18-20 per cent savaran voters, the majority of which has traditionally voted for the BJP. Amid growing discontent, SP has stepped up to lure the upper-caste voters. Addressing a 'Brahmin Sammelan' in Lucknow on August 5, Akhilesh Yadav hinted at a pivot from the party's PDA strategy to include Pandit in 'P', which stands for Pichhda (Backwards).
This was resonated in MLC polls when the party replaced traditional OBC nominees to field upper-caste candidates like Dr Sanjayan Tripathi and Akash Agarwal. In another attempt to appease the Brahmin community, last week Akhilesh proclaimed, 'Brahmins will show us the way, Kevats will ferry us across, in a clear message to attract both the upper-caste and OBCs.
Akhilesh's outreach has made the BJP wary of the SP. BJP has also started to woo savarna voters. The steps taken by the BJP to placate the savara voters include the announcement of three upper-caste Rajya Sabha candidates, equal to the OBC nominees. However, without its strong leaders who fit in both the caste equation and regional influence, the BJP faces a strong challenge in the upcoming polls.