His departure could be a further setback to struggling UP Congress but his projection as major Brahmin leader in the BJP seems to be far-fetched. While there are serious questions about his mass base outside his home district Shahjehanpur, it is also stretched to call him a “Brahmin leader”.
M Hasan
Lucknow, June 10: As a part of continued high-profile desertion from the Congress to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) two-time former union minister Jitin Prasada has left the party to find greener pasture in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh. Mr Prasada, who had been sulking in the Congress for quite some time, was one of the signatories of the letter written by senior Congress leaders including Ghulam Nabi Azad demanding restructuring of the party. In UP also he was not pulling on well with the state Congress leadership.
However, what has hastened the process of his departure from the Congress is crucial UP assembly elections due in early 2022. While UP Congress, despite hectic revival efforts by the AICC general Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, remains in ICU, Mr Prasada who lost successive elections- 2014, 2017, 2019, has struck a survival deal with the BJP. Mr Prasad could also not ensure the victory of his sister-in-law in recently concluded district panchayat elections.
Is he a Brahmin face?
His departure could be a further setback to struggling UP Congress but his projection as major Brahmin leader in the BJP seems to be far-fetched. While there are serious questions about his mass base outside his home district Shahjehanpur, it is also stretched to call him a “Brahmin leader”. His father late Jitendra Prasada who was vice president of AICC had also entered into fight with high command by contesting against Sonia Gandhi in 2000 AICC presidentship poll. Late Jitendra Prasada who also tried to succeed the “Brahmin legacy” of Pandit Kamplapati Tripathi, but could not achieve it.
While welcoming his entry the Union Home Minister Amit Shah said “Jitin Prasada ji is welcome in the BJP. I am fully confident that with him in the party BJP’s pledge to serve the masses would be further strengthened”. The UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath added “We welcome Jitin Prasada Ji on leaving the Congress and joining the BJP. Jitin Prasada Ji’s joining will surely help strengthen the BJP in UP”. However the UP Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu said “ he has ditched the party that had given him so much. What kind of a leader was he? He failed to win assembly polls, lost series of Lok Sabha election and have been ungrateful to a party that helped him establish his identity, gave him respect and position. Congress would not be harmed by his exit”.
The 47-year old scion of a political family in UP Mr Prasada presumably saw dead end to his political career after losing successive elections as Congress nominee. There appeared to be no way out but to move to BJP as he said “our family has been associated with the Congress for three generation. But during the last 8-10 years I felt that if there is any national party, it is the BJP”. Mr Prasada’s entry in the BJP is also being seen as timely when there are murmurs about unhappiness in a section of the Brahmin community towards the Yogi government.
UP’s highly caste-ridden politics:
In the highly caste-ridden political struggle in UP every caste has been trying to find a space in ruling establishment. So are the Brahmins who are presumably feeling disenchanted in UP where Yogi Adityanath Government is seen pro-Thakur. In order to stay afloat and cash in on the perceived Brahmin neglect Mr Prasada had also launched “Brahmin Chetna Parishad” to take up the issue of the community under the present dispensation. In UP, caste division is heavily tilted in favour of backward communities which constitute 54% of the total population followed by 21% Dalits and 17% Muslims. As per Mandal Commission report among the 54% backward communities there are around six percent Muslims also. Thus, Hindu backward communities are around 48%. While the total comes to 86%, all upper castes Brahmins, Thakurs and others are not more than 14% in the state. It is for this reason the BJP has been paying larger attention to keeping the backward flock together.
Who are other Brahmin faces in BJP?
There are several other Brahmin leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s confident and MLC AK Sharma, Deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, Union minister Shiv Pratap Shukla, UP Law Minister Brajesh Pathak, Energy Minister Pandit Shrikant Sharma, BJP MP from Allahabad Rita Bahuguna Joshi and others. But in upper caste led RSS-controlled BJP the community doesnot seem to be very vocal. In the highly communalised UP politics, the RSS-BJP has seemingly taken its support for granted. The RSS has already summoned a UP Pracharaks meeting Ayodhya next week to discuss the prevailing political situation and chalk out action plan in the run-up to the assembly elections.
At the time of 2017 assembly election Brajesh Pathak, who was closely connected with BSP’s Brahmin face SC Mishra, and former UPCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi daughter for UP former Chief Minister Pandit Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna had joined BJP. In 2007 assembly election BSP chief Mayawati had also mobilised Brahmins under the leadership SC Mishra. Scores of Brahmin conferences were held all over the state to attract the community in the run-up to the assembly election. It yielded positive results also as Brahmin-Dalit-Muslim alliance (age-old Congress formula) had brought her to power. The BJP has mobilised upper caste-Backward communities-minus Yadava and a section of Dalits as winning combination.
Why Brahmin vote?
Historically there had been prominence of Brahmin votes in the state. It was largely because of the community’s social dominance. Despite their low percentage their strong presence in politics and bureaucracy helped them sway over the political affairs in the state. The state after the independence had largely been under the control of Brahmin leadership. There had been successive Brahmin chief ministers who pushed the political and administrative interest of the community. While Congress during its long rule played Brahmin-Muslim-Dalit card to stay in power as it makes winning combination with other communities coming around, later Samajwadi Party, BSP also made efforts to keep the community in good humour. In 2007 Mayawati played similar card to win the election. The Samajwadi Party also always presented socialist leader late Janeshwar Mishra as “Brahmin face”. The community has always been a strong opinion maker which compelled the political parties of all hues to keep them to their sides. Now under BJP the community finds itself ideologically aligned with the party. But the perception that Thakur community is ruling the roost has caused perceived sense of neglect in a section of the Brahmin community which the BJP has been trying to remove. In UP any party which succeeds in getting around 30% of votes polled could win the election and form the government. It happened during Mayawati regime and SP regime. However, for the BJP the winning combination is minus Muslims that is upper castes-backward communities and section of the Dalits.
Road ahead for Jitin Prasada?
BJP sources said here that he is likely to be fielded in 2022 UP assembly elections and also serve as a prominent campaigner of the party. Through Brahmin Chetna Parishad” which he had launched in 2020 he has been active in the community and the BJP could utilise his services. “Since he was close to Congress top leadership, Mr Prasada becomes even more important in campaign against Congress” commented a BJP leader. There is a feeling in the party that BJP could utilise his services in Roohelkhand region comprising Barielly, PIlibhit, Lakhimpur Khiri and Shahjehanpur where he has been active all these years.
