6 months ago
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They make up just 2% of the electorate, but no party can ignore them in western Uttar Pradesh. They decide the fate of as many as 10 seats in the region. Their financial clout is a big factor in swaying poll outcomes.
That's why political parties leave no stone unturned while trying to woo western UP's Jats.
The govt's decision to award Jat leader Chaudhary Charan Singh with the Bharat Ratna is also seen as an attempt to secure Jat support, part of a strategic move by the BJP that has long been trying to get the community to its side.
According to a report by ToI's Pankaj Shah, although the BJP has done very well in the region in the past four elections, it was desperate to have Chaudhary’s grandson Jayant on its side, something the party has now finally managed to do.
Jats emerged as a significant voting bloc under the leadership of Chaudhary, a former Prime Minister and ex-Chief Minister of UP, who founded the Bhartiya Kranti Dal in the late 1960s after parting ways with the Congress. Following his demise, his son, the late Ajit Singh, carried forward his father's legacy as the former RLD chief. However, the BJP's ascension in the 2014 LS elections resulted in the decline of the RLD, with both Ajit and his son, Jayant Chaudhary, facing defeats in Baghpat and Mathura respectively. The trend continued in the 2019 LS elections, with setbacks in Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat.
TNNBJP gained Jat support post-2013 Muzaffarnagar riots when Jats clashed with Muslims, analysts noted.
In a bid to garner support from the Jat community ahead of the 2022 assembly elections, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation for a university honoring Jat freedom fighter Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh in Aligarh. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also referenced 17th-century Jat warrior Gokul Singh, known for his resistance against Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. Gokul Singh's legacy, significant in Haryana too, is being revived by the BJP to strengthen their ties with the Jat community.
Jat support for BJP dipped from 91% in 2019 to 71% in 2022, states Prof AK Verma of Centre for Study of Society and Politics. He attributes this shift to farmers’ protests and Jats' demand for reservation.
The RLD's vote share increased from 1.8% in 2017 to 2.9% in the recent 2022 assembly elections, with their tally rising from one to eight MLAs. A significant win for the party was seen in the Khatauli bypoll, where the SP-backed RLD candidate Madan Bhaiyya defeated BJP's Rajkumari Saini, bringing the party's MLA count to nine. This marks a notable turnaround from the period between 2009 and 2014 when RLD had zero seats and a vote share of only 0.9%.
Jayant showcased strength as an SP ally in the 2022 polls, aiding RLD to secure Jat and Muslim votes on various seats.
BJP strategists are reworking plans to counter potential impact from the SP-RLD alliance in the upcoming elections, the ToI report said citing sources.
In an attempt to strengthen the NDA, BJP has reportedly aimed to bring RLD into its fold, sidelining the opposition. A key Jat leader, who has previously served as a state governor, played a pivotal role in persuading Jayant to part ways with SP and align with the saffron party. This move signifies a strategic political maneuver within the current landscape.
BJP finally decided to enticed Jayant with Bharat Ratna for his father and offers RLD two ministerial berths, two LS seats, and a spot in the state’s upper House. Jayant, an SP-backed Rajya Sabha member, may secure a position in Modi's cabinet if NDA wins.
RLD national secretary Anupam Mishra told ToI that party decisions stemmed from grassroots feedback. "Aligning with BJP is aimed at uniting diverse communities," he stated. RLD insiders stress the party's aim to stay significant in west UP while securing the best deal with BJP.
RLD successfully placed Yogesh Chaudhary, a Jat leader, in the legislative council and appointed Anil Kumar, a Dalit MLA from Purkazi, to the UP cabinet. SP's Sudhir Panwar accuses BJP of trying to divide the Jat community to weaken their electoral power.
According to political analysts, RLD’s limited sway in west UP has pushed it to try its hand at 'opportunistic' politics, as seen in the case of party founder Ajit Singh. "Jayant too seems to consider that RLD is better off in alliance with BJP," ToI said qouting Prof SK Pandey, head of political science department at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University.
By aligning with BJP, RLD may lose Muslims, but would gain Hindu votes (OBC and Dalit included), Prof Padey told the newspaper. The Jat vote might then consolidate and that could pay off in Punjab and Haryana, he added.
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