The BJP will now be playing the brahmin card in Uttar Pradesh to regain lost ground. The appointment of veteran party leader Kalraj Misra as chief of the election campaign committee is an indication of the BJP’s motive.
The BJP’s decision has evoked considerable anxiety in the BSP which, till now, was confident of continued brahmin support.
The BSP is apprehensive that the BJP would take advantage of the disillusionment of brahmins with the Mayawati regime and this could disturb the party’s concept of social engineering. Brahmins, in any case, have been the traditional vote base of the BJP in UP ever since
Mr Misra, besides being adept in managing organisational matters, has been the brahmin face of the party in UP. His appointment as head of the campaign committee means that he will run the show at least till the Assembly elections in UP. He is bound to bring back brahmin voters who had abandoned the party after former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee retired from active politics.
“We are confident that Mr Misra will succeed in winning back brahmin support to an extent because he is the tallest leader in the community in the state.