- Himanshu
- Dec 31, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 2
PDA vs. BJP: In UP politics, the game of SP's PDA vs. BJP's PDA has started, but in the PDA formula of both, only the meaning of A changes. SP's PDA means backward, Dalit, and minority, while BJP's PDA means backward, Dalit, and half the population. In SP's PDA, A means minority, while in BJP's PDA, A means half the population, i.e. women
PDA vs. BJP: The assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh are after two years, but the political chessboard has started being laid out right now. SP is making a strategy to win the battle of 2027 with the help of its PDA (backward, Dalit, minority) formula, which was a hit in the 2024 elections. To counter the PDA formula of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, the BJP is also playing the PDA equation. The way BJP has given place to Dalits and backward classes in the appointment of booth and mandal presidents at the micro level in UP, one thing is clear: the party has already started strengthening its social engineering for the 2027 elections.
In the politics of UP, the bet of SP's PDA vs. BJP's PDA has started being played, but in the PDA formula of both, only the meaning of A changes. SP's PDA means backward, Dalit, and minority, while BJP's PDA means backward, Dalit, and half the population. In SP's PDA, A means minority, while in BJP's PDA, A means half the population, i.e., women. In such a situation, the question arises: whose PDA formula will guarantee victory in the assembly elections to be held in 2027?
SP's PDA formula was a hit in 2024
After the 2022 assembly elections, Akhilesh Yadav had created the PDA formula to take SP out of the M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) image, in which a strategy was made to balance the equation of Dalit and minority votes along with the backward class. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Akhilesh distributed tickets under the PDA formula, but instead of giving tickets to Muslims and Yadavs according to their population, he gave importance to Kurmi and non-Yadav OBCs. Due to the alliance with Congress, the Muslim community voted for SP en masse.
By giving more tickets to the Kurmi, Mallah, and Maurya communities, SP won 37 out of 80 seats in UP, while the BJP won only 33 seats. Due to fewer seats in UP, the BJP could not get the majority figure on its own, and PM Modi had to form the government with the help of allies. Learning from its defeat in UP, the BJP has also made a strategy to give special attention to the backward and Dalit votes.
PDA formula in BJP organization
Seeing the political power of backward and Dalit votes in the politics of Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has adopted a strategy to give importance to them in the organization. This can be clearly understood from the list of BJP's Mandal presidents. The BJP on Monday declared 751 Mandal presidents and district representatives out of a total of 1918 Mandal presidents in UP. This time, along with giving place to backwards and Dalits, special importance has also been given to women. However, due to a deadlock in some districts, consensus could not be reached there. It is believed that the remaining Mandal presidents will also be declared in a day or two.
To counter the SP's PDA formula, the BJP has made an effort to create a strong caste equation by giving place to women along with Dalits and backwards at the micro level in its organization. BJP has given 40 percent of Mandal Presidents to OBCs, 20 percent to Dalits, and 15 percent to women. Apart from this, 25 percent of Mandal Presidents have been made from general category castes. The BJP has given special attention to the castes coming under the most backward castes in OBC. Along with the Kurmi, Lodh, and Jat communities, castes like Gurjar, Pal, Prajapati, Kumhar, Saini, and Maurya have been given special importance. Similarly, among Dalit castes, not only Pasi and Dhobi but also the Khatik and Kori communities have been given importance.
The chessboard has been laid in view of the 2027 elections
BJP has made a move to set its political equations in view of the 2027 assembly elections, due to which a team of booth and Mandal presidents, considered the most important in the state organization, has been formed, which can compete with the PDA formula of SP. That is why backward castes and extremely backward castes have also been given place in the organization. If there are four Mandals in one assembly constituency, then the BJP has appointed presidents from different castes in all the four Mandals. The BJP has appointed two Mandal presidents from OBC, one Dalit and one from the upper caste. The BJP has appointed two Mandal presidents apart from OBC, both of whom are from different castes.
If we look at the caste equations of the Mandal presidents appointed in Ghazipur district, then the BJP has tried to woo 15 castes through a total of 34 Mandals in the district. If we look at the 34 Mandal presidents of the BJP on the basis of caste, then 8 Thakur, 6 Brahmin, 4 Maurya, and 3 Nonia Chauhan leaders have been made Mandal presidents. Apart from this, seven Mandal presidents have also been made from the Dalit community. Similarly, the BJP has taken full care of caste equations in other districts as well. This time BJP had already decided that its strategy would be to make Mandal presidents and district presidents the best.