Chandrashekhar vs Mayawati: Dalit Powerplay in UP By-Elections!

Chandrashekhar Azad now sets the stage to escalate his presence in UP's Dalit politics, vying for dominance where he previously heightened Mayawati's headaches.

Source: aajtak

Overlooking Chandrashekhar Azad as a Dalit leader, Mayawati distanced herself. Chandrashekhar, having offered a Lok Sabha seat in alliance with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, yet rebuffed, emerged victorious in the elections on his party's merit. His win is seen as a game-changer for Dalit politics, with his significant role in Imran Masood's victory being recognized as well.

Observing Chandrashekhar's rising popularity, Mayawati focused on Nagina, sending her nephew Aakash Anand as the star campaigner. Aakash began campaigning from Nagina, but despite Mayawati's targeted efforts, her criticisms missed the mark, adding a jewel to Chandrashekhar's crown in Nagina.

Firmly refusing alliances with political parties, Chandrashekhar declares allegiance only to the public and enters the by-elections on that basis alone. Disillusioned with existing parties, the public places hope in Chandrashekhar's promise to field fresh faces. He continues to champion the voice of Dalits, Muslims, and tribal communities.

Elections aptly named, but the contest is fierce

Not long after seizing the Nagina Lok Sabha seat, Chandrashekhar Azad announced his candidacy for 10 Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly seats, already assigning campaign leaders for four.

By-elections loom in seats like Karhal, Milkipur, Katehri, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Mirapur, Phulpur, Majhwa, and Sisamau—with significant appointments already made for Khair (Aligarh), Mirapur (Muzaffarnagar), Kundarki (Moradabad), and Ghaziabad Sadar (Ghaziabad).

Significantly, Chandrashekhar, like his rival BSP leader Mayawati, resolves not to form coalitions, keenly preparing for a stiff competition on all seats, yet a seat like Milkipur promises an intriguing clash.

Before the general elections, Milkipur was just known for its MLA sitting beside Akhilesh Yadav in the UP assembly—now the scene shifts to Lok Sabha where Avdhesh Prasad finds a seat between Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi.

Mayawati might aspire to snatch the Milkipur seat from the Samajwadi Party, whereas Chandrashekhar strategizes on how to outwit Akhilesh's stronghold. Similar electoral battles are also foreseen in constituencies with a predominant Muslim population, though Mayawati, bearing the BSP's performance in mind, may reconsider fielding Muslim candidates—yet Chandrashekhar Azad raises his voice equally for Muslims.

Amidst BSP's dwindling vote bank, Chandrashekhar rises

Chandrashekhar Azad's rapid political ascendancy in UP is seen as Mayawati's voter base drifts away. A notable instance is the dominant victory at the Nagina Lok Sabha seat for Azad, with a whopping 51.19% vote share against BSP's sheer 1.33% for Surendra Pal.

Mayawati's vote bank, especially among her core Jatav voters, is diminishing. The recent general elections saw her voters side with the BJP or Akhilesh Yadav's strategy, leaving her back at square one.

Mayawati faced accusations of aiding the BJP indirectly, a perception she did little to dispel by fielding candidates that seemingly bolstered the BJP. A stark example is the post-2019 by-election in Azamgarh, where BJP's Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua' overthrew the SP candidate, further narrowing the battlefield without Guddu Jamali in the fray.

With Dalit voters constituting 21.1% of UP's electorate, where Jatavs account for 11.7%, both Chandrashekhar Azad and Mayawati, hailing from the Jatav community, now witness a split of allegiance.

Once Mayawati commanded support from the entire Dalit community, but times have changed, and now she retains backing primarily from her Jatav kin. Chandrashekhar Azad, meanwhile, seeks broader support across the entirety of the Dalit society.

The gravity of Chandrashekhar's influence prompts Mayawati to quickly turn to her nephew Aakash Anand again, but despite vast resources, Chandrashekhar's grip on the issues closest to people's hearts makes him an ever more challenging opponent—issues where Mayawati has long been seen as failing the public.

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