The BSP has fielded some of its most prominent non-Dalit leaders to reach out to the communities they represent. Ahead of the UP elections, the BSP has assigned specific regions to these bhaichara coordinators.
Satish Chandra Misra, the BSP’s Brahmin face, has been assigned the reserved seats in eastern UP, central UP and Bundelkhand, and MLA Ramvir Upadhyay the reserved seats of western UP. Misra addressed a rally in Gorakhpur’s Khajani Sunday, with BSP candidates from seven reserved seats attending. Statewide, Misra will be assisted by other Brahmin leaders including his son-in-law Paresh and former MLC Gopal Narain Mishra.
For Muslims, the BSP has chosen party general secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui for western UP where he is addressing meetings, Rajya Sabha MP Munquad Ali for Varanasi, Allahabad and Mirzapur divisions, and Naushad Ali for Bundelkhand, and Athar Khan in Faizabad and Devipatan.
Among OBC leaders, state BSP chief Ram Achal Rajbhar and former Speaker Sukhdeo Rajbhar have begun addressing sammelans in eastern UP, while former MLC R S Kushwaha is trying to attract Kushwahas in central UP. Pratap Singh Baghel is wooing the Gaderiya (Pal) community in Agra region, former minister Lalji Verma addressing Kurmis in eastern UP and Terai, and former MP R K Singh Patel is in Bundelkhand and Allahabad.
Former minister Jaivir Singh will work among Thakurs in western UP, former MLA Jitendra Singh Babloo has been addressing sammelans in Faizabad and Basti, and Rasra MLA Umashankar Singh in Azamgarh.