Lalu, Mulayam losing Yadav vote

With Yadav chieftains in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad Yadav respectively giving undue preference to members of their immediate families in ticket distribution, possibilities of the caste votes drifting away from them looms large.

In Bihar, Mr Lalu Yadav may be pulling impressive crowds for his rallies, the defection of his right-hand man Ramkripal Yadav has sent a wrong signal to the Yadav voters and it is being resonated in rest of Bihar. Ramkripal Yadav is contesting from Patliputra seat on a BJP ticket against Lalu’s daughter Misa Bharti.

Also, the rout of the RJD in 2009 Lok Sabha elections had much to do with the Yadavs not voting as aggressively as they are known to and also with a few of them voting for the JD(U) and BJP, sources in the RJD said.

Political analysts in Bihar believe the Yadavs are still in a dilemma, but some signs are emerging to hint that they would back the RJD chief on account of sympathy for him being convicted in a corruption case. But a split in the Yadav votes could not be ruled out.

Explaining the reason for a possible split in the Yadav votes, an analyst said, “The caste group remained privileged in the state for 15 years. Since Mr Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) took over the state, they have been relegated to less than ordinary. Vengeance will be a driving principle during voting for them. With the BJP becoming a potent force to defeat Mr Kumar, the Yadavs may choose to opt for tactical voting.”

In Uttar Pradesh too, the Yadavs are weighing options and are in a dilemma whether to go with the Narendra Modi bandwagon. In eastern UP, the Yadavs feel they could not get share in power due to family-centric politics of the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led SP, but some covert manoeuvrings are taking place between D.P. Yadav and the BJP, sources said.

Courtesy: The Asian Age