Kurmis vow to band together for UP assembly polls

BAREILLY: Days after the Apna Dal, known to represent Kurmi voters in the state, announced its decision to expand base in western UP, community members under the banner of Kurmi Swabhiman Mahasangh organised a grand rally on Sunday to unite its people ahead of the 2017 assembly elections. The rally was held amidst reports that the BJP is to focus on non-Yadav OBC communities such as the Lodhis and Kurmis as part of its campaign in this politically crucial state.
Kurmis, who form almost 11% of UP’s population, had played a critical role in central and eastern parts of UP to ensure a landslide victory for the BJP in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. But community members now rue that no party has yet positioned a leader from the community as its CM face for the state. They also said how their participation in the state’s governance is less and no leader from the community is in the cabinet of Centre or state government.
National convenor of the association Sushil Kumar Katiyar said, “Our community can play a deciding factor in the UP assembly elections since a political party needs nearly 27% votes to form the majority and we form roughly 11% of the total vote share in UP. But with our votes divided, various political parties have used us without giving us anything concrete in return. We have decided to unite the community to vote for the party which will project a Kurmi leader as its CM face.”
Leaders of the community said that out of 403 assembly seats in the state, a majority of Kurmis form the electorate in 165 constituencies. Kurmi leaders such as Bareilly MP Santosh Gangwar and Mirzapur MP Anupriya Patel are not part of the cabinet but have been positioned only as state ministers. Even though there are 21 MLAs in UP from the community, none of them is of cabinet minister rank.
“Kurmis rally behind the Apna Dal but it has been divided into two factions after Anupriya Patel’s estrangement with her mother and the party’s matriarch Krishna Patel. Similarly, Kurmi leaders in other parts of the state are associated with different political parties resulting in division of Kurmi vote bank. But if we unite, we have the power to select MLAs from 165 seats,” said Katiyar.
Mamta Sachan, national convenor of women’s wing of the Kurmi Swabhiman Mahasangh said, “We will ask political parties to give a large share in governance to the community if they do not project any Kurmi as its CM face. Once the community is united, major political parties will approach us. We are conducting rallies and meetings across the state to unite members.”