Will SP's strategy to dent BJP's caste equation in eastern UP succeed?

The Samajwadi Party's bid to dent the Bharatiya Janata Party's formidable social equation is playing out in a big way in the Poorvanchal or eastern region of Uttar Pradesh as the ruling party is working overtime to keep its caste equation unharmed.

If Om Prakash Rajbhar-led Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, a BJP ally turned Samajwadi Party partner, seems to be drawing a sizeable chunk of his community votes, sections of Maurya-Kushwaha voters grumble about getting a raw deal from the ruling party despite their solid support to it in every poll since 2014.

Shivpur is proving to be a test case for both rivals as BJP's Anil Rajbhar, a UP government minister who had won by over 54,000 votes in 2017, is facing a keener challenge now as the SP has conceded the seat to Rajbhar who has fielded his son Arvind Rajbhar from Shivpur.

In Sandaha village, flags of both the SBSP and the BJP flutter atop some Rajbhar households.

If Ram Nivas Rajbhar lauds the ruling party for ensuring free ration to his family in corona kaal, his nephew Arvind Rajbhar is all for biradari ke neta (our community leader), a reference to the regional party.

"Our votes are split everywhere. Many support the BJP but which caste does not prop up its leaders," a member of the family which is involved in woodwork says.

Seeking to turn the tables on its friend-turned-foe, the BJP has pitted Kalicharan Rajbhar against SBSP chief in Zahoorabad.

As a BJP ally, Om Prakash Rajbhar had defeated him in 2017 when he had contested on the Bahujan Samaj Party ticket.

In many places, SP president Akhilesh Yadav has taken a leaf out of the BJP's playbook by banking candidates from castes not seen to be his party's traditional supporters in the hope that any sizeable section of new votes will align to good effect with its core base of Muslims and Yadavs, who are in big numbers in the region.

In Ghazipur Sadar, the SP has given the ticket to Jai Kishan Sahu against the BJP's Sangeeta Balwant, also a minister in the state government.

With parties like the SBSP, Apna Dal and Nishad Party, the last two being BJP allies, gaining strength in Poorvanchal and driving good bargains from their partners on the back of their roots in particular OBC castes, some other backward castes are feeling left out and complaining.

Manoj Maurya and Nemchand Maurya, for example, are voters of different constituencies but both have some common grouses -- Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has been allegedly ignored and their community has not got its due despite constant support to the BJP.

They admire Prime Minister Narendra Modi but accuse Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of being unable to carry everyone along.

"Everyone is looking out for their caste leaders. Few knew Om Prakash Rajbhar some years back but he is now a neta. Why should we not support somebody from our own caste," Manoj Maurya of Nasirpur village says, speaking approvingly of former BSP leader Babu Singh Kushwaha who has floated his own party.

Seeking to control any damage, the BJP recently inducted several local influential leaders, including BSP's Sujit Kumar Maurya.

With the BJP's vote bank among upper and a section of OBC castes like Kurmi and the SP's among Muslim and Yadavs seen strong, it is a number of these intermediary castes which are seen to be a decisive factor in these polls.

If there seems to be some erosion and indifference in a chunk of its voters, there are many others who remain supportive.

Ram Sagar Prajapati of Naisara village cite berozgari, mahangai aur pashu (unemployment, price rise and stray cattle) as three main problems of the BJP but still declare his sympathy to the party.

"We had electricity supply for six hours each during day and night when the SP was in power. Things are much better, and roads are safer," the shopkeeper says.

Rakesh Singh Yadav and his companions hear him intently but assert that Akhilesh Yadav will topple the BJP because people have been facing a lot of hardships.

At the BJP office in Varanasi, which is also headquarters of the party's Kashi division overseeing around 70 seats, its vice president Sudhir Mishra plays down the impact of issues like cattle menace, saying voters will bring the party to power again with big numbers.

Modi has said in his rallies that the BJP, if elected to power again, will bring policies to deal with the issues involving stray cattle.

The Yogi Adityanath government, Mishra claims, has given over 4.5 lakh government jobs against 3.2 lakh given in the preceding Akhilesh Yadav dispensation.

Poorvanchal will go to the polls in the last two phases on March 3 and March 7.

Modi is likely to be in Varanasi on February 27 and 28 and is expected to spend a few days in the run-up to the last phase of polls next month, seeking to maximise the party's outreach to voters.

During the 2017 assembly polls as well, he had spent a few days in his parliamentary constituency, which had gone to the polls in the last phase as it will this time around as well.