Priyanka’s Dalit outreach and Ganga Yatra change political narratives in Uttar Pradesh

With Priyanka Gandhi stitching ties with smaller but caste-based outfits like Mahaan Dal, Jan Adhikar Party and Apna Dal and addressing marginalised sections of the society through an open letter, there is a gradual shift in Congress towards strengthening its caste base.

“I am attached to you by my soul and without your support nothing can change. Hence, I will be meeting you and will interact directly to know your problems. I will travel by river, bus, train and even on foot to connect with you,” she said in her open letter to the people of Uttar Pradesh.

This bold step caught the other political parties like SP, BSP and BJP unawares. There is a buzz in the political circles that the way Priyanka is gradually proceeding with her moves, the Congress will not be a `vote katua’ as was perceived earlier but will emerge as a force to reckon with.

Dr S P Pandey of Dr Govind Ballabh Institute of Studies in Rural Development in Lucknow said that in a state like Uttar Pradesh, where caste is the only driving force in politics, it is an astute move by Congress to ink deals with smaller parties. “Technically, you may call them small parties but these have a large support base in the villages. A tilt of this caste base can turn the fortune of any party in the battle of ballots,” he said.

Dr Pandey said that if you analyse the BJP’s rise in UP, you will come to realise that the BJP’s only success mantra was that it formed alliance with smaller parties. Even at the national level, it is a conglomeration of around 30 small parties. In a political scenario where caste is an important factor, such tactical alliances are necessary and Priyanka has got her act in place as the grand old party is making open moves to address the Dalits and the OBC communities, he said.

It is not only the alliances but her tour along Ganga has created a buzz in political circles as it is seen as an innovative move to reach out to a large section of non-Yadav backward communities like Kushwaha, Shakya, Kachahar, Kewat, Mallah, Nishad, Kashyap, Maurya, and Rajbhar who fall under Most Backward Class (MBC) category. They account for around 14 to 15 per cent of backward caste population in the state.

Before the emergence of caste-based parties, like SP and BSP, the Congress was the dominant party in this state as it enjoyed the support of upper castes, Dalits and minority communities. But after 1989, it started losing its hold because of the emergence of VP Singh. In 1990, Singh changed the political discourse of the country when he introduced the Mandal Commission report and politics of Other Backward Castes (OBCs) took centre stage in Uttar Pradesh. This tectonic shift led to the emergence of SP and BSP at the expense of the Congress.

Priyanka’s bold move has baffled SP and BSP. “If Congress is able to win the support of Dalits, backwards and minorities too, it can change the narrative of UP,” Nomita P Kumar of Giri Institute of Development Studies said.

Moreover, she said, the tour of the villages around Ganga is bound to make an impact as most of the people around this river are fishermen or boatmen. There are artisans who have for centuries depended the river basin for their livelihood.

“They belong to marginalised section of the society and a direct discourse with them is bound to pay political dividends,” Kumar said.