Role reversal

The backward Kurmis are set to grab the front seat in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

Ten years ago, Sone Lal Patel was a Kurmi leader not many in Uttar Pradesh knew about. Worse, Kurmis were an obscure entity incapable of swinging political fortunes in the state. This time around, the political script reads a little different. The backward caste that accounts for 10 per cent of the state8217;s population is much in demand. And till his surprise tie-up with the BJP on the eve of the elections, Patel was being wooed by every big political party for his influence over the growing vote bank,

Patel8217;s move has not only forced the parties to restructure their poll strategies, but the new equations have forced analysts to speculate afresh on poll results. Though the BJP has had Kurmi leaders like Vinay Katiyar, Om Prakash Singh and Santosh Gangwar, the Kurmi vote bank was slipping out of its hands largely due to the hardcore Hindutva image of Katiyar. The Patel-BJP pact may now improve the party8217;s position. Patel had also campaigned for Nitish Kumar a Kurmi in the Bihar polls and now he has his support, some even suggesting that Kumar has been instrumental in the BJP-Patel tie-up.

In the early Nineties, Patel was catapulted to the post of Uttar Pradesh president of the BSP by Kanshi Ram. After being expelled from the party in June 1994, he formed his own party, Apna Dal, in November 1995. He, however, posed no threat to any political party, with his party opening an account in 2000 when his candidate won the Pratapgarh assembly by-poll by 2,500 votes. Things began to change in the previous assembly elections when his candidates grabbed four seats. Patel was suddenly an important political figure.

Another prominent Kurmi leader in the state is Beni Prasad Verma. The man who once surprised the political world by striking an accord with Mulayam Singh Yadav, then by going on a long political hibernation, is back in the news with his decision to take on Mulayam in the forthcoming polls. The Samajwadi Party rebel who formed his own party, the Samajwadi Kranti Dal, last month is expected to dent SP8217;s gains in 15-16 seats in Bahraich, Barabanki and Faizabad districts, where he has a strong following.

Patel, on the other hand, holds sway in the southern and central districts, including Banda, Chitrakoot, Allahabad, Ghazipur, Varanasi, Basti, Gorakhpur, Balrampur, Maharajganj, Bahraich, Barabanki and Faizabad. Each of the 56 constituencies in these districts has 10,000-15,000 Kurmi votes. Considered the descendants of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Kurmis are agriculturists and the richest among other backwards.

Yet another Kurmi leader known to rule the roost in state politics is Siv Kumar Patel alias Dadua, the only dacoit in Banda Chitrakoot division. Though he has never contested an election, his diktat is said to turn the fortunes of political parties in the area. The SP has always had Dadua8217;s support as Mulayam helped his family get seats in the local body elections, and this time may be no different.

What8217;s different is the role being played by the Kurmi community as a whole in the forthcoming polls.