Pasi votes in play, Chirag Paswan comes forward to take on SP, Congress in UP

The move also assumes significance ahead of the Milkipur Assembly by-election – one of the 10 Assembly seats in the state set for bypolls — where LJP (RV)’s ally BJP is trying to avenge its loss in Faizabad, which encompasses Ayodhya.

“Ram Vilas Paswan united the Dalit communities under the Dalit Sena. While his ill health prevented him from taking the idea forward, Chirag is now leading from the front and is gradually becoming the acceptable young Dalit face of the country,” said LJP (RV) MP Arun Bharti, who has been appointed as the party’s in-charge for Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.

Accusing the SP and BSP of not giving adequate representation to the Pasis and Paswans, Bharti said more “sammelans” would be organised in Ayodhya and Gorakhpur. “The dates are not yet finalised for them but more such meetings will be held after Navratri,” he said about Chirag’s meeting in Kaushambi last week.

Hitting back, SP leader Rajendra Chaudhary asked what a “big leader” such as Ram Vilas Paswan did in the state. “Is his son bigger than him? He is just trying to cosy up to the communities on the BJP’s directions. However, they have been exposed. The deprived classes’ support is with Akhilesh Yadav as they know he is their true well-wisher,” he said.

LJP (RV) leaders claim the Pasi-Paswan communities in Uttar Pradesh number around 1.25 crore and play a decisive role in the electoral outcome in at least 103 of the 403 Assembly seats in the state. While Prasad belongs to the Pasi community, Chirag hails from the Paswan community, both of which are categorised as Scheduled Caste (SC) and are seen to be concentrated in the central and eastern parts of the state in areas such as Ayodhya and Gorakhpur.

Pasis who were seen to support the BJP in the 2017 and 2022 Assembly polls are now being seen as a voter base of the SP and the Congress while the BSP enjoys support among the Jatavs, another Dalit community.

Another LJP (RV) MP, Shambhavi Choudhary, elaborated on the party’s plan to unite the Pasis and Paswans ahead of 2027. “We contested 20 seats in the 2022 Assembly elections. Though we did not win any, we were successful in creating a base. A lot of people have associated with the party. Chirag bhaiyya is the face of the Pasi-Paswan community and we will become the voice of the entire Dalit community,” she told The Indian Express.

Last week, at the first Vanchit Samaj Sammelan, Chirag invoked Pasi icons and promised to “restore their lost glory” while slamming the SP and the BSP for “using the second largest Dalit community as a mere vote bank”.

Chirag also promised to fight for the representation of Pasi and Paswan sub-groups such as Le, Kaithwa. Gujar, Kamaniye, Trishulia. Tarmeli Bajpasi, Rajvanshi, Khatik, Bhar Pasi, and Babelia.

Demanding the Centre build a grand memorial of Pasi icon Raja Suheldev Pasi in Bahraich and close all liquor shops in Dalit-dominated villages of UP, Chirag pointed out how 11 of the 12 forts built by the king were “illegal encroached” or stood in a dilapidated condition.

Rajendra Chaudhary also dismissed Chirag’s overtures. “Rallies and sammelans will not be beneficial for the Pasis and Paswans. The PDA (Pichhde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) community benefited during SP rule and no one cares for them like Akhilesh,” he said.