<p>Politics in Uttar Pradesh has the Most Backward Castes (MBC) factor playing a major role with the BJP, BSP and the Congress trying their best to fit it in their electoral game plans.<br /><br /></p>.<p>As the electoral scene is warming up in UP, the political caste engineering is being been fine-tuned by the political parties to include MBCs like Koeri, Kahar, Kevat, Kumhar, Gadearia, Teli, Nat, Lohar and others who have not been benefited like “empowered OBCs” such as Yadavs, Jats and Lodhs.<br /><br />The controversy surrounding former BSP minister Babu Singh Kushwaha’s induction into the BJP has not greatly upset the ground-level strategists in the party who see it as the right move to attract the Koeris (Kushwahas) and thereby other MBCs. “The BJP has given a good number of MBCs tickets for the Assembly elections”, comments a BJP central leader from the state.<br /><br />Similar moves have also been set by rival parties like the BSP and the Congress. The warring parties have been focussing on non-Yadav OBC votes which have an impact on the winning or loss margins of the candidates across the state.<br /><br />BJP has raised the bogey of 4.5 per cent reservation for Muslims announced by the Centre in the 27 per cent quota reserved for the OBCs in government jobs, to attract OBCs, particularly the MBC among them, to its fold. <br /><br />Investing in parties<br /><br />Even the Scheduled Caste votes are not an altogether captive bank for BSP president Mayawati. The SCs other than Jatavs (committed to the BSP) like Passi, Balmikis, Dhobis etc who have not reaped the benefits of reservation much are being tempted by parties like Congress and the BJP. The MBC among the SCs are also game for switching sides and “invest” in other parties if they are to get the right returns. <br /><br />Kushwaha (4 per cent) has been brought into the BJP to attract the non-Yadav OBC and MBC votes in the UP election. The plan has been crafted by the Party president Nitin Gadkari in tandem with state leaders and state election coordinator Sanjay Joshi, according to sources.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Politics in Uttar Pradesh has the Most Backward Castes (MBC) factor playing a major role with the BJP, BSP and the Congress trying their best to fit it in their electoral game plans.<br /><br /></p>.<p>As the electoral scene is warming up in UP, the political caste engineering is being been fine-tuned by the political parties to include MBCs like Koeri, Kahar, Kevat, Kumhar, Gadearia, Teli, Nat, Lohar and others who have not been benefited like “empowered OBCs” such as Yadavs, Jats and Lodhs.<br /><br />The controversy surrounding former BSP minister Babu Singh Kushwaha’s induction into the BJP has not greatly upset the ground-level strategists in the party who see it as the right move to attract the Koeris (Kushwahas) and thereby other MBCs. “The BJP has given a good number of MBCs tickets for the Assembly elections”, comments a BJP central leader from the state.<br /><br />Similar moves have also been set by rival parties like the BSP and the Congress. The warring parties have been focussing on non-Yadav OBC votes which have an impact on the winning or loss margins of the candidates across the state.<br /><br />BJP has raised the bogey of 4.5 per cent reservation for Muslims announced by the Centre in the 27 per cent quota reserved for the OBCs in government jobs, to attract OBCs, particularly the MBC among them, to its fold. <br /><br />Investing in parties<br /><br />Even the Scheduled Caste votes are not an altogether captive bank for BSP president Mayawati. The SCs other than Jatavs (committed to the BSP) like Passi, Balmikis, Dhobis etc who have not reaped the benefits of reservation much are being tempted by parties like Congress and the BJP. The MBC among the SCs are also game for switching sides and “invest” in other parties if they are to get the right returns. <br /><br />Kushwaha (4 per cent) has been brought into the BJP to attract the non-Yadav OBC and MBC votes in the UP election. The plan has been crafted by the Party president Nitin Gadkari in tandem with state leaders and state election coordinator Sanjay Joshi, according to sources.<br /><br /></p>