On the occasion of Dr. Sonelal Patel’s 74th birth anniversary, a symposium on the topic of “The Need for Caste-based Census” was organised at Lohia Auditorium in Lucknow under the banner of the Camera Consciousness Foundation. As the chief guest of the event, Samajwadi Party President and former Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav, attended the program. The event was chaired by Krishna Patel, the president of her own party, the Kamraoadi Party.
The Kamraoadi Party had initially booked a hall at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan for this event. However, when permission was denied, Akhilesh Yadav decided to hold the program at the Lohia Auditorium of the Samajwadi Party office. On the other hand, during the Indira Gandhi organised event, several leaders from BJP and other parties, including the NDA, were seen together on the stage.
According to political analysts, while various political parties may be discussing different aspects of the issue, the real issue can be considered as the caste-based vote, as both factions of the Kamraoadi Party were seen vying for the inheritance of Dr. Sonelal Patel. While one group led by Anupriya Patel, along with Amit Shah, was seen at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, the other group led by Krishna Patel was present at the Samajwadi Party office. Both sides are attempting to woo the Kurmi votes in the state.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Kurmi community is estimated to comprise around 6% of the population, which accounts for 35% of the state’s total OBC population. This is why there are approximately four dozen assembly seats and 8 to 10 Lok Sabha seats where the Kurmi community plays a decisive role.
The influence of the Kurmi community in Uttar Pradesh is prominent in about two dozen districts, with their numbers being around 12% in approximately 15 districts.
In recent elections in Uttar Pradesh, it has been observed that the Kurmi voters are leaning towards the BJP. Keeping this in mind, Akhilesh Yadav aims to attract Kurmi voters by referring to the OBCs. Hence, on the occasion of Dr. Sonelal Patel’s 74th birth anniversary, Akhilesh Yadav chose to organise a symposium on caste-based census. Furthermore, during this event, Akhilesh Yadav also mentioned Dr. Sonelal Patel’s connection with Kannauj. He stated that Dr. Sonelal Patel was born in Kannauj, and our field of work has also been in Kannauj. Along with this, Akhilesh Yadav added that when we talk about caste-based census, they accuse us of being casteist, but without caste-based census, there can be no inclusive development for all.
It remains to be seen how effective Akhilesh Yadav’s move proves to be, as if the Samajwadi Party loses its influence among Kurmi voters, it could result in significant advantages on at least ten to twelve seats.
