Caste is a reliable proxy for deprivation and longer-lasting glue for political mobilisation
Politicians and mathematical formulae may seem like strange bedfellows. But in the run-up to 2022 UP polls, every day brings a new equation. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath recently said the UP battle was a clash between 80% and 20%, only to be countered by his own estranged minister and Samajwadi Party’s latest catch, OBC leader Swami Prasad Maurya who said that the election will be fought between 85 % and 15%.
The references are obvious: While for the saffron-clad CM elections are essentially a majoritarian face-off between majority Hindus and minority Muslims, Maurya would have us believe that this time UP will see a forward caste vs backward caste battle. Put simply, UP politics is returning to the 1990s Mandir vs Mandal tussle, although this time the identities at play are far more complex.
The references are obvious: While for the saffron-clad CM elections are essentially a majoritarian face-off between majority Hindus and minority Muslims, Maurya would have us believe that this time UP will see a forward caste vs backward caste battle. Put simply, UP politics is returning to the 1990s Mandir vs Mandal tussle, although this time the identities at play are far more complex.