The party which once claimed to be the party of upper caste started claiming to have a rich representation of OBCs. But the resignation of three tall OBC leaders including three ministers - Swami Prasad Maurya, Dara Singh Chauhan and Dharam Singh Saini – has hit the party very badly. The perception has changed. The message started percolating down that OBCs have started deserting BJP and political pundits have started predicting a tough contest between the Samajwadi Party and the BJP.
Samajwadi Party has played its cards well. In an attempt to shed its Muslim-Yadav tag, it has increased the representation of the non-Yadav OBCs in tickets for the assembly seats announced recently.
The electoral contest in UP has remained triangular for the last two decades, with the BJP, the BSP, and the Samajwadi Party being the principal power contenders. Congress added spice to the electoral battle because of its domination in select pockets. The BJP enjoyed strong support among the upper caste, the BSP among scheduled caste, and Samajwadi Party among Yadav-Muslim communities.
