SP clutches to caste combine recipe, BJP keen to wrest back Gorakhpur

GORAKHPUR: The Lok Sabha constituency of Gorakhpur, a BJP stronghold from where the historic SP-BSP alliance took its roots in 2018, is staring at a nail biting contest this time.
Nishads and Brahmins voters hold the key in the constituency and will decide whether Samajwadi Party can hold onto the seat it won in bypoll or whether BJP can snatch it back after holding on to it for more than two decades.

In 2018, SP scripted history by wresting Gorakhpur seat from BJP in the bypolls. It was a historic win not just because it is the backyard of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who won the seat five consecutive times and was considered invincible, but also because BSP had extended support to arch rival SP after more than 20 years.
This time, however, it is an uphill task for SP to retain the seat since its victory margin in 2018 was mere 21,881 votes and having made it a battle of prestige, Yogi is camping in the city since last week and is personally monitoring preparations.
SP MLC Sanjay Lathar, who has been overseeing the party campaign in Gorakhpur, said, “In 2018, we won because of the caste combine and are resting our hopes on it again. We fielded a Nishad candidate and got the community’s support. Yadavs and OBCs, who were anti-Yogi, also voted for us along with a section of SCs after Mayawati announced support to us two days before the voting.”
The sitting MP Pravin Nishad is now contesting from Sant Kabir Nagar on BJP ticket after NISHAD Party leader Sanjay Nishad broke alliance with SP and inked a pact with BJP .
“We are not expecting any significant loss from Pravin Nishad’s departure and have again fielded a Nishad, Rambhual, who was earlier in BSP, as our candidate this time,” added Lathar.
The close to 4 lakh Nishad voters will play a critical role in deciding this year’s winner. Interestingly, it is not Pravin’s departure to BJP because of which a section of Nishad community is wavering towards BJP but development under PM Narendra Modi.
“We got many benefits under this government, from gas to toilets and two Rs 2,000 instalments. While some Nishads will vote on caste lines, there are others who will vote for BJP because of its work,” said Harilal Nishad, from Belwan in Jungl Subhan Ali village.
There are rumours of Brahmins, a crucial votebank, being upset with the current regime for allegedly favouring Thakurs, but sources in BJP refuted the claims.
BJP leaders said that low turnout in 2018 resulted in their defeat. “The total polling was 47.84%. It is known that BJP voter turnout is usually less than compared to Dalits and OBCs. In urban Gorakhpur, the polling percentage was in 30s. This time, we are working to ensure that the turnout is high,” said a senior BJP leader.
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