They may form the second largest vote bank in Haryana, but the Scheduled Caste communities in the State remain divided about their political choices. Over the last decade and a half, there has been a progressive fragmentation of SC votes, especially with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) being in a weak wicket in the State and the entry of new players, but the Bhim Army’s Chandra Shekhar Azad is now hoping to fill the vacuum in Dalit leadership.
SC communities comprise around 20% of the State’s total population as per the 2011 census. They make up the second largest chunk of the electorate after the Jats, who are the single largest caste in the State with around a quarter of the total populace.
An analysis of the number of reserved SC seats won by various political parties over the past three Assembly elections in Haryana, however, suggests that the community’s votes have scattered further with each election.
