Not only Amethi, crossover will affect upper caste UP

NEW DELHI: The erstwhile prince of Amethi, Sanjay Singh, may have rejoined the Congress, but his wife Ameeta Singh is still a minister in the Mayawati government. And there are indications that she may follow suit. So why the sudden crossover?
Sanjay Singh''s re-entry into the Congress may not drastically alter the balance of ballots in Amethi. But it does signal a massive change of mood among the upper castes in UP.Thanks to chief minister Mayawati''s style of functioning, the Thakurs seem to be disenchanted with the BSP-BJP coalition.
Little wonder then that most of the leaders of the erstwhile royal families in UP have now resolved to join hands to work against the interests of the BJP in the cow-belt as a whole. They are now reported to be writing to their ''''blue blood'''' friends and relations in MP and Rajasthan to see to it that the BJP bites the dust in the assembly elections in these two states.
The Thakurs'' anger against the BJP in the aftermath of the use of POTA against one of the fellow-royals, Raja Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya, is understandable. ''''We refuse to buy the theory that only Mayawati is responsible for all this,'''' they say adding that the BJP, which has been enjoying power in UP all these years ''''because of our support, has failed to put a check on the CM''''. It is significant that Raja Bhaiyya''s father, Raja Uday Pratap Singh, has been an active member of the Sangh Parivar.
The mood-swing of the Thakurs apart, Sanjay Singh''s home-coming is significant for another reason also. The trend so far was that bulk of the people deserting the BJP were seen to be heading towards the Samajwadi Party. But now it is more or less clear that the disenchanted upper caste people are beginning to exercise their option in favour of the Congress also. And the Thakurs are not the only upper caste group moving away from the BJP. The Banias, Kayasthas and a section of Brahmins have also been drifting towards opposition parties in UP.