http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articlelist/articleshow/1926012.cms
BSP's Brahmin face hogs limelight Subodh Ghildiyal [20 Apr, 2007 l 0133 hrs ISTlTIMES NEWS NETWORK] NEW DELHI: BSP has been the Mayawati-centric story. But even as behenji, as the supremo is reverently called, remains the pivot around which its actions revolve, some of the limelight seems to be shifting to the Dalit formation's Brahmin face. As the poll wagon shifts eastwards, and BSP steps into a zone that can decide its bid for power, the attention is also on whether Mayawati's gambit of pitchforking greenhorn politician S C Mishra will turn out to be the hook to draw in the Brahmins. Mishra marks the coming of age of the second group of Brahmin politician entrepreneurs who decided to step out of the shadow of the traditional caste elite — Congress' Tripathis and Tiwaris. With BJP's patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee having walked into the sunset and his party colleagues Kalraj Mishra and Kesari Nath Tripathi refusing to shine even in the reflected glory, Mishra has strayed on to the centrestage. A lot is at stake for Mishra. "It is a personal test, you could say so," he reluctantly tells TOI, rushing non-stop from Mahona on the outskirts of Lucknow to far-flung Banda to "bind Dalit and Brahmin votes". Mishra is a phenomenon which underscores the Kanshi Ram-Mayawati school's penchant for toppling the tradition. It produced an original Dalit leadership after decades of co-option by a Brahminical Congress. And now, the voluble Dalit czarina has set about to create a Brahmin leader! This Brahmin's appeal lies in Dalit 'behenji'. "BJP and Congress used them. Only my leader has from a public platform promised to take care of their 'maan', 'samman' and 'swabhimaan'," he says. It's been quite a journey for this lawyer-turned-politician by circumstances. Taj Corridor case being the turning point. When Mayawati did not have too many people of trust around, behenji 's brief went to Mishra. He grabbed it with both hands. Within no time, Mishra had shed his black robes for whites. Then came Mayawati's Brahmin gambit. First, she sent her Man Friday to Rajya Sabha. On June 9, 2005, he was the face of a Maha Brahmin Rally in Lucknow. The call to the community went out with him at the helm. Mayawati has taken pains to make this outsider-upper caste acceptable to her flock of followers bred on 'tilak, taraju aur talwar...' When the sword of Taj case was hanging over her head, she surprised them by calling him as her "brother". He has not looked back since. As UP polls enter a crucial phase, covering central region and the volatile decider of the east, Mishra says the Brahmin card will come into play and blow away all the exit polls. His logic is simple — there are Dalit votes in every constituency and those with sizable Brahmin presence will return BSP on top. "That is what has strengthened our hold on all 89 reserved seats in the state," he claims, adding, "14% Brahmins mean something." Mishra may well be turning the caste pyramid on his head, as a Brahmin creation of Dalits. If only he can pull it off. [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a BLANK email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
