Maya's social engineering formula fails to click

Fresh from the 2007 experiment, the BSP had pinned its hopes on bringing into its fold Brahmins and Muslims along with its loyal votebank among the Dalits.

The party, earlier known for its extreme views on the upper castes, had liberally distributed tickets to Brahmins (20), Thakurs (6) and Muslims (14) hoping that the votes of these castes along with its core vote base would make a smooth sail for the party nominees but the success rate this time was unlike the assembly polls with only five Brahmins, four Thakurs and four Muslim candidates managing to win.

In the last assembly polls, the BSP chief had given tickets to some 80 Brahmins of which 42 had won their seats and the party had returned the favour by giving them important positions in the government besides going all out to woo them in the party fold by organising Brahmin Bhaichara committees.

Even the BSP's successful slogans belittling high castes were replaced by new ones.

By bringing these castes together, the BSP chief had worked out a winning combination for herself that could well put her on the national scene and realise her dreams of acquiring power at the Centre.

But elections this time have demonstrated a specific shift in the Muslim and upper caste vote bank of other parties and to some extend the Dalit vote bank to the Congress in places where the BSP had fielded Brahmin or upper caste candidates.