The newly-formed front of Peace Party, Bundelkhand Congress and Apna Dal on its own may not seem big enough to make a political impact in Uttar Pradesh elections but it definitely has the power to cause damage to big players in the polls.
Together the three parties are aiming for a coalition of Muslims, Thakur and Kurmis — the three caste groups that continue to feel betrayed by major political parties in UP.
The Peace Party has been making concerted efforts to emerge as a rallying point for Muslims, particularly backward Muslims. Its almost spectacular performance in by-elections in Dumariaganj and Lakhimpur, where it ranked second, has turned it into a seemingly formidable political force in the state.
The Peace Party has its own pockets of influence in eastern UP and with Thakur leaders like Akhilesh Singh and Jitendra Singh Babloo joining the party, the Muslim-Thakur combination has started to consolidate. Besides, former bureaucrats Yashpal Singh and Rama Shankar Singh have also joined the Peace Party, adding strength to the Thakur brigade.
Though the Bundelkhand Congress has never played the caste card and has remained focused on the statehood issue, the leadership of actor-turned-politician Raja Bundela is undoubtedly attracting the Thakur youth in the region.
It is noteworthy that in recent times, the action initiated by the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party against Thakur leaders like Dhananjay Singh and Jitendra Singh Babloo (both in jail) has distanced the Thakur community from the party. The Samajwadi Party, on the other hand, has been unable to repair the damage caused by the exit of Mr Amar Singh who blatantly played the Thakur card while he was in the party.
On the other hand, the Apna Dal boasts of considerable clout among the Kurmi community that lacks a strong leadership in the state. Though the Congress has been projecting union minister Beni Prasad Varma as a Kurmi leader, the latter lacks the charisma to cash in on the caste card on his own.
The Apna Dal is almost revered by Kurmis in the Allahabad-Kaushambhi-Pratapgarh-Mirzapur belt.