Ahead of the critical phases of the Uttar Pradesh elections, it seems that the BJP has managed to resolve its Thakur dilemma. The past month has been quite eventful where several events have unfolded.
Why BJP Needs The Support Of Thakurs?
Thakurs hold a strong hold in many constituencies in central and eastern UP, which vote in the upcoming fifth, sixth, and seventh phases. There has been an evident discontent among Thakurs in west UP, who felt sidelined by the BJP in ticket distribution.
Enacting on the same, BJP has now all the influential Thakur strongmen in its kitty. BJP has now commanded dominance in politics of the following regions. Their leaders include Brij Bhushan, whose influence extends to Gonda; Brijesh Singh in the Varanasi region; Raghuraj Pratap Singh, also known as ‘Raja Bhaiya’, in the Pratapgarh area; Dhananjay Singh of Jaunpur; and Abhay Singh of Ayodhya. While they all hail from east UP, their influence reaches beyond their respective areas.
In order to emerge victorious the party made amends by nominating community leaders in key seats such as Kaiserganj, Rae Bareli, and Mainpuri.
Jaunpur Lok Sabha Seat
Dhananjay’s wife, Srikala Reddy, initially received the Jaunpur Lok Sabha ticket from the BSP, replacing the incumbent MP Shyam Singh Yadav.In an unexpected twist, she was later dropped as a candidate, and Yadav was reinstated.
Thereafter, Dhananjay declared his support for the BJP, and Srikala was seen in a photo with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
BJP leaders believe that these developments have essentially guaranteed the Jaunpur seat for their candidate, Kripa Shankar Singh. Dhananjay is known to wield influence over not only Thakurs but also OBCs in Jaunpur and the neighboring Machhlishahr constituency.
Kaiserganj Lok Sabha Seat
In Kaiserganj, despite internal opposition, the BJP nominated the son of senior leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who had to be replaced due to allegations of sexual harassment by female wrestlers.
Brij Bhushan is believed to have a significant influence among Thakurs and Kurmis in Gonda, Ayodhya, Barabanki, Basti, Balrampur, and Sidharth Nagar.
Rae Bareli And Mainpuri Lok Sabha Seat
Dinesh Pratap Singh and Jaiveer Singh are the BJP’s candidates in Rae Bareli and Mainpuri, respectively, running against leaders of the INDIA bloc, Rahul Gandhi and Dimple Yadav.
With Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a Thakur himself, there were whispers of him being overlooked in the ticket distribution in west UP, which have now subsided. Dinesh Singh is considered close to the CM.
Varanasi Lok Sabha Seat
Brijesh Singh, a mafia don based in Varanasi, has always been open about his allegiance to the BJP, and particularly to Adityanath. He has been out on bail since August 2022, after being acquitted in most of the 35 serious charges against him, including murder. He was arrested in 2008 by the Delhi Police.
In 2016, Brijesh became an Independent MLC after the BJP did not field a candidate against him from Varanasi. In 2022, his wife Annapurna Singh won the same MLC seat in a surprise victory against a BJP candidate, sparking speculation about who supported her.
Brijesh is believed to have influence among Thakurs and Bhumihars in Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Ghazipur, Mau, Ballia, and also in some districts of Bihar and Jharkhand.
Pratapgarh Lok Sabha Seat
‘Raja Bhaiya’, who has consistently won the Kunda Assembly seat seven times, six of those as an Independent before establishing his own party in 2022, is thought to have the support of Adityanath. However, recently, Raja Bhaiya voiced his stance and said, “After a meeting with party leaders and workers, a decision has been taken that the party will not support any candidate in the Lok Sabha elections. Our voters and supporters may cast their votes as per their will.”
In 2013, when Raja Bhaiya was a minister in the Samajwadi Party government led by Akhilesh Yadav and was charged with the murder of Deputy SP Zia-ul-Haq in Pratapgarh, Adityanath, then a BJP MP from Gorakhpur, deviated from the party line to declare that Raja Bhaiya had been wrongly accused.
Raja Bhaiya has served in the BJP governments of Kalyan Singh and Rajnath Singh, as well as the Samajwadi Party government of Mulayam Singh Yadav, in addition to the Akhilesh government. Earlier this year, he supported BJP candidates in the Rajya Sabha elections in UP.
He is perceived as having sway among Thakurs and OBCs, including Yadavs and Kewats, in the districts of Pratapgarh and Kaushambi.
What’s The Situation In Ayodhya?
Abhay Singh, once a friend but now an adversary of Dhananjay, and the incumbent SP MLA from the Gosainganj constituency in Ayodhya, has also pledged his loyalty to the BJP. He voted for the BJP in this year’s Rajya Sabha elections. His father and wife joined the BJP last month.
Abhay is known to be assisting the BJP in the constituencies of Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Barabanki, and Basti.