Briefly explain the caste based political parties in india.
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Caste politics and the lust for power
4 min read . 29 Jul 2015Badri Narayan
Caste-based parties are demanding a bigger share of power in the forthcoming Bihar assembly elections
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Last year’s general election saw an increase in the role played by small, caste-based parties in the polity. Even the dominant political parties relied on them to target different caste groups.
The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), for instance, liaised with Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal to target the Kurmi caste group, and ensure a victory from eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Similarly, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party of Bihar, with its Koeri caste support, joined hands with Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party, with its Dusadh caste base, to form a grand alliance.
In fact, the BJP incorporated small, caste-based political parties to focus on the marginalized and Dalit community to form a successful amalgam. This turned out to be the main reason for its success.
Now, these small, caste-based parties are demanding a bigger share of power in the forthcoming Bihar assembly elections. Their aspirations have been fanned with their entry into the power structure as they see themselves playing a decisive role in the future of the Indian polity.
Recently, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, under the stewardship of Upendra Kushwaha, raised the demand that Kushwaha be announced as the National Democratic Alliance’s chief ministerial candidate in Bihar. He has demanded 67 tickets for his party in the assembly election.
Jitan Ram Manjhi, who split from the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), to form the Hindustan Awaam Morcha, is banking on the Musahar caste vote bank to become the chief minister.
Paswan shares this aspiration, too. Consequently, all three are eager to outdo each other. The BJP, while silent on the question of chief ministership, is witnessing a lot of ferment over the issue.
Caste has played a major role in deepening democracy in India. But, at the same time, caste and caste-based politics have contributed to growing inequality in the Indian society.
Caste has become a weapon of choice of political leaders with which to appease targeted groups. Like regional parties, caste-based parties too took shape soon after independence.
A part of the leadership of social and caste associations that was active in the pre-independence period got actively involved in the formation of caste-based political parties.
Taking cognizance of the growing involvement of caste in politics, Ram Manohar Lohia, a freedom fighter and anti-caste mobilizer through his Socialist Party, remarked: “Indian politics is like an insurance policy. You do not have to invest any premium. Caste may be successfully used as and when required and it will yield back the premium with positive returns and added interest."