BJP goes all out to woo Brahmins, Rajputs in UP

Lucknow: Buoyed by its win in Assam and good showing in other states in the recent Assembly elections, BJP has turned its focus on UP that goes to polls early next year. The first step, sources in the party told TOI, is to win support of the Rajputs and Brahmins in the state by giving them prominence in the government and in the central leadership of the party.
Sources said that BJP needs to win over the confidence of the Rajputs and Brahmins. "While the marginalization of Union home minister Rajnath Singh has left the Rajputs sulking, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has sent two Rajputs to the Rajya Sabha and has projected Amar Singh as the face of the community to wean away Rajputs from the BJP," said observers.
The Brahmins too are sulking after former state president Laxmikant Bajpayi was shown the door and Union minister Kalraj Mishra not being given a strong role to play. There is no Brahmin leader occupying central position in the organizational set ups in the state and the Centre. On the other hand, BSP has taken a strong step in appeasing Brahmins by sending Satish Chnadra Mishra to the Rajya Sabha for the third time.
BJP has 16 Brahmin but only two are ministers in the NDA government.
Similarly, in a bid to woo the Rajouts in the state, there is talk about Gorakhpur MP being given a larger role in the party campaign for 2017 polls.