By handing over the command of Madhya Pradesh to Mohan Yadav, BJP has not only wooed backward voters in that state but also tried to make inroads into the Yadav vote bank in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Haryana.
Making a common Yadav leader CM in MP, the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah team has dealt a big blow to the regional parties of UP, Bihar, Haryana, and other states. It holds out hope for the community that a Yadav outside the Mulayam and Lalu clan can emerge as a big leader and assume the post of a CM.
Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party in UP and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar have so far been considered the sole representative of the Yadavs while in Haryana the Yadav votes are divided among the Congress, the Indian National Lok Dal and the BJP. Even in Rajasthan, Yadav voters are divided between the BJP and the Congress.
SP President Akhilesh Yadav evaded a question from reporters who asked for his comment on Mohan Yadav’s appointment as chief minister of MP. His close aide and chief spokesperson of the party, Rajendra Chaudhary, gave an evasive answer saying the decision of the BJP in Madhya Pradesh won’t have any impact on UP. Other senior SP leaders too refrained from making a comment on the matter.
According to political experts, there are around 10 to 12 per cent Yadav voters in UP. Politically, Yadavs are considered the most powerful group among Other Backward Castes (OBCs) with as two dozen Lok Sabha seats in the state are dominated by Yadav voters.
While Yadavs constitute about 10-12 per cent of the population of Uttar Pradesh, their percentage in Bihar is 14.26 and around 10 in Haryana.
According to the report of the Hukum Singh Committee constituted in the year 2001 during the tenure of the then chief minister Rajnath Singh, the Yadav caste has the largest number among the backward castes in UP. Hence, the BJP has bet on Mohan Yadav keeping this caste equation in the Hindi belt of the country in mind.
They feel by handing over the leadership to a person like Mohan Yadav, the BJP could send out a message to the Yadav voters that no matter how closely they are associated with the SP and the RJD, the leadership in these parties would eventually go to the families of late Mulayam Singh and Lalu Yadav whereas the BJP offers seamless leadership opportunities.
MP CM-designated Mohan Yadav is a frequent visitor to UP as his wife happens to be from Sultanpur in UP where his in-laws live. In the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, Mohan Yadav is expected to intensively campaign in UP and Bihar.
Meanwhile, the BJP leadership has made Bhupendra Yadav, a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan, the forest and environment minister in the Central government. In Uttar Pradesh, Girish Yadav is the minister of state with independent charge in the state government.
The party had fielded Bhojpuri singer Dinesh Lal Nirahua as its candidate in the by-election for the Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat, which was vacant due to the resignation of SP President Akhilesh Yadav. Nirahua had defeated Akhilesh’s cousin Dharmendra Yadav in the by-election.
Sangeeta Yadav and Harnath Yadav are Rajya Sabha members. State General Secretary of BJP Subhash Yaduvansh and Ashish Yadav alias Ashu are Legislative Council members.
A senior political analyst, Virendra Bhatt, believes making Mohan Yadav the chief minister of MP will mount a challenge to SP in UP. The way the saffron party has been assiduously working on increasing its base among the Yadav voters for the last five to seven years and Yadav leaders being given representation in the organisation and government the Yadav voters will certainly be attracted towards it.