Anger of upper caste a big issue in Madhya Pradesh; RSS too gives signal to placate them

New Delhi, Oct 16: For the first time after a long time the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing a tough electoral battle in Madhya Pradesh due to the anger of people against the government especially the upper caste communities which have become a big issue. Their anger is giving a sleepless night to the BJP leadership in the state.

The anger of the upper caste community in the state is so much that they decided to launch a political party and would be contesting Assembly elections on all the 230 seats in the state. But their anger is more visible in the Gwalior region and will have a maximum effect there. Sources said that the anger of upper caste community is so much that even the RSS which has a very strong base in Madhya Pradesh with leaders like present joint general secretary (sahsarkaryawah) Suresh Soni belonging to Madhya Pradesh and former Sarsanghalak late K S Sudarshan having been worked in the state for long, failed to make up with the upper caste communities.

They have put up big banners and hoardings in the state with slogans on it that their votes are not for the BJP. Some of these hoardings say to use NOTA instead of voting for the BJP. The political outfit launched in the name of Samanya Pichhda Aplsankhyak Samaj Kalyan (SAPAKS) is eroding upper caste vote bank from the BJP and the Congress alike and this might disturb the chances of both the parties as they are at the moment fighting neck and neck in the state.

The statement made by Madhya Pradesh chief minister at a programme of an organisation of SC/ST employees called Anusuchit Jati Janjati Adhikari Karamchari Sangh (AJAKS) that no one can take away reservation of SC/ST. "We will hire the biggest lawyer of SC and whatever is required to save this reservation," said the CM. This has sent a very negative message among the upper caste communities. The movement started by upper caste has taken this line and people are being told about it in the programme of SAPAKS.

"This is very well understood by the Congress. So they are quietly tolerating aggression of the upper caste with this hope that at the time of voting their anger against the BJP may help them to get their votes. The BJP government has got the upper caste protesters beaten up by the police and got them arrested which is fresh and a big election issue in the state," said a BJP leader.

The new political equations have arisen due to the anger that has swept the upper caste over the restoration of original provisions of SC/ST Act, both the Congress and BJP are trying to win over the aggrieved community but they are adamant to teach them a lesson. The ruling BJP is busy devising a strategy for preventing any deviation of its trusted vote bank but of no avail so far.