NEW DELHI, OCT 18: Amongst the first political initiatives by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is an attempt to win over the Jats who were estranged from the Congress in Rajasthan in the recent elections on the issue of their inclusion in the OBC list.The idea is not just to consolidate the BJP's gains in Rajasthan where elections to the panchayats and municipalities are due in November, but to build a new social axis in Uttar Pradesh which proved to be the party's Achilles Heel.The BJP-INLD combine has also stated that it is seriously thinking of early polls in Haryana, where elections are otherwise due in 2001.Though Vajpayee had sent feelers during the election campaign to the Jat Mahasabha, the apex body of the community in Rajasthan, he called their leaders to Delhi soon after taking over as Prime Minister. Mahasabha Chairman Hari Singh and Secretary Jagdeep Dhankhar (who belongs to the NCP) called on the Prime Minister two days ago.The Prime Minister is believed to have assured them thatthe Government was looking into the modus operandi of giving the Jats OBC status. During the election campaign, the Prime Minister had promised this publicly. Vajpayee made a special point of including a young Jat from Rajasthan, Subhash Maharia, in his ministry. Maharia had defeated Congress veteran Balram Jakhar in Sikar.Taking umbrage at the Prime Minister's assurance, Justice R S Verma, who was Chairman of the Backward Class Commission in Rajasthan that was examining whether the Jats qualified to be on the OBC list, resigned recently. He said that his Commission had become redundant, given the Prime Minister's open declaration. The Commission was set up by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Justice Verma's resignation has brought the Jat controversy back into focus again.The Prime Minister has moved with alacrity also because of UP, and Jats have become important for the BJP to fashion new equations in the State. The Jats had swerved to the BJP in the last two elections, but had begun to getdisenchanted with the party this time. Ajit Singh's Lok Dal, which had allied with the Congress, won two seats in western UP.In UP, the BJP has to offset the possible loss of smaller backward classes which had come to its fold in a big way in 1991, to meet the challenge posed by Mulayam Singh Yadav and Kalyan Singh.Continuing Kalyan Singh in UP will cost the BJP the upper caste vote in the Assembly elections which may take place sooner rather than later. Though unhappy with the Kalyan regime, the Brahmins on the whole did not desert the BJP this time, essentially because of the Vajpayee factor. But this is not likely to work in a State election.Removing Kalyan Singh might stop the erosion in the upper castes vote bank of the BJP, but it is also likely to create a unity amongst the backward classes. The beginnings of this were discernible in the recent elections. The Lodhs and some other smaller OBCs voted for Mulayam Singh in many constituencies. Sakshi Maharaj, a one time lieutenant of Kalyan Singhwho like the Chief Minister is a Lodh, openly supported Mulayam in the polls and has now joined the Samajwadi Party. Kalyan Singh had pleaded for a ticket for him till the last moment. Sakshi Maharaj has already stated that the next Assembly elections in UP will be fought jointly by Mulayam Singh and Kalyan Singh.Given these danger signals, the BJP leadership wants to firm up its support amongst the Jats and the upper castes.During her campaign speeches, Sonia Gandhi had also promised that her party would implement the promise made by Gehlot to the Jats that he would give them the benefits of OBC reservation.The Congress is also seriously considering whether it should go in for a Jat Chief Minister in Rajasthan in place of Gehlot. The two names under consideration are Natwar Singh and Ram Nivas Mirdha.
