There is just a difference of one word in the names of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Azad Samaj Party (ASP) for the former though it spells its worst ever crisis in Rajasthan since 25 years after it won its first seat in the Assembly elections. While the Jatav community, especially in eastern Rajasthan, remains committed to BSP supremo Mayawati, the ASP is drawing mostly the younger Dalit crowd.
Will the young voters’ attraction towards the ASP’s flamboyant leader Chandrashekhar Azad prove fatal to the BSP is a question up in the air. As per the 2011 census, Rajasthan has 17.8% Dalit population with 34 SC reserved seats and as per estimates, another 30 to 40 seats where they hold the deciding vote.
The entrance to Bharatpur’s Karili village has been waterlogged with overflowing sewer for the last two years. A crowd streaming back after attending Ms. Mayawati’s rally in the nearby town carefully picks its way back to homes, hopping over the bricks laid down to help it cross the pool of unsanitary water. There is a palpable sense of betrayal against the sitting legislator Joginder Singh Awana, who fought and won the last election on a BSP ticket only to switch sides to the Congress. Roop Chand, 55-year-old school teacher, declares, “This is a straightforward case of cheating!” The small knot of men, both young and old, nod along. But will the peripatetic BSP legislators make them switch their loyalties? The answer is an unequivocal ‘no’. Vijay Ram, 42, a daily wage farm labourer explains the reason. “Even if we vote for the BJP or the Congress, our vote is not counted. They believe that we vote for the BSP alone,” Mr. Ram said. And why not, he adds, after all it was Ms. Mayawati alone who gave us the self confidence to stand up and be counted. Both Mr. Chand and Mr. Ram are from the Jatav community. The ASP, they say, is still an unknown variable. “Are they here to stay,” 36-year-old Munesh Kumar wonders. Though, Mr. Azad is a familiar name, the consensus is to keep the ASP on probation in this election season. But there are many younger faces in the crowd who are largely silent. After the crowd disperses, they express their admiration for Mr. Azad, show off his video clips and rave about his “strong” personality. Bharatpur district has one of the largest concentrations of Dalits amounting to 21.9% of the total population.
