Dharmendra Pradhan, a prominent OBC leader from Odisha, has been roped in by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to placate the “naaraz” (unhappy) Brahmin community in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the crucial 2022 state assembly elections.
The senior leader, who is also the BJP’s UP in-charge, has been intensely playing the role of a firefighter as the saffron unit tries to woo the community. Sources said that Pradhan has been specially tasked with the resolution of the issue due to his acumen in handling such tricky situations and also his stature at the national level.
Pradhan, who is also the Union Education Minister, had personally reached out to prominent brahmin BJP leaders in Uttar Pradesh and heard their grievances to seek an early resolution of any issue, sources added.
This also led to the formation of a four-member committee with Rajya Sabha chief whip Shiv Pratap Shukla, former national secretary Abhijat Mishra, MP Mahesh Sharma and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Bhai Mokariya.
While sources said there were voices citing instances of injustice to the community, the leaders were told to find a way forward and not let the opposition take any advantage of the narrative they are building against the BJP in a particular community.
The party has also asked its Brahmin leaders to take on opposition parties that are presenting the party as anti-Brahmin.
Realising that Brahmins comprise 15 to 17 percent of the UP population and the majority of them voted for the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the party doesn’t want to lose out on its loyal vote bank.
According to senior Brahmin leaders within the party, the BJP had been able to secure 312 seats in the previous assembly polls because of the whole-hearted support by the Brahmin community.
Also, senior leaders who understand the dynamics of the castes in the state believe that Brahmins still guide and influence many communities and thus getting them on the party’s side is of utmost importance.
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