The time-tested Muslim-Yadav (M-Y) combination that failed Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav in UP and Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav in Bihar in the last Assembly elections is now being replaced with a more magical Muslim-brahmin (M-B) combination in UP.
The emergence of the Muslim-brahmin combination may be a relatively new factor in state politics but, if consolidated, it could upset the calculations of all major political parties.
The magic of the Muslim-brahmin combination was discovered by the Peace Party in June 2010 when it fielded a brahmin candidate for a byelection in the Dumariaganj Assembly seat that has a predominant Muslim population. The Peace Party ranked third, pushing the SP to the fourth and the Congress to the fifth position. In November 2010, the Peace Party re-tested the Muslim brahmin combination in the Lakhimpur Assembly byelection when it, again, fielded a Brahmin candidate and ranked at the second position.
This proved that the new caste combination had the potential to weave magic in the political fabric of the state. “This is undoubtedly a deadly combination. Brahmins are getting drawn towards the Peace Party because, with the Muslim support, they are being promised a greater and more visible share in power. The brahmins are disillusioned with all major political parties that have failed to give them their promised share in power. If this trend consolidates, then UP elections will spring several surprises and the BSP will be worst hit because it is banking heavily on Brahmin support,” admits a senior BSP leader.
Rajendra Nath Tripathi, a social activist and a brahmin leader, reasons, “We supported the BSP in 2007 but Brahmins are now feeling betrayed. What is the harm in teaming up with Muslims now? We may be socially opposed to them but then we were never socially supportive of dalits either.”