Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey slams BSP's effort to canvas Brahmin votes

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Ashwini Kumar Choubey has attacked BSP Supremo Mayawati's statement on Brahmins. He said that Brahmin is not a caste but a culture. Brahmin lives for the nation. All the parties in Uttar Pradesh are like vultures.

Lucknow: Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Ashwini Kumar Choubey has attacked BSP Supremo Mayawati's statement on Brahmins. He said that Brahmin is not a caste but a culture. Brahmin lives for the nation. All the parties in Uttar Pradesh are like vultures. The minister further quipped, "What do you think that Brahmins will ask for alms with outstretched hands".

Earlier, BSP Chief Mayawati stated the Brahmin community will not come under any influence of the BJP. Before the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Election 2022, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will start the 'Brahmin Sammelan' from Ayodhya on July 23. The responsibility of this event, which is aimed at consolidating the Brahmin votes, has been assigned to the BSP General Secretary Satish Chandra Mishra. BSP's Brahmin face, Satish Chandra Mishra, will start his work of canvassing Brahmin voters from Ayodhya. He will host similar events in six districts of UP between July 23 to 29.

If the BSP has to make a comeback in the upcoming assembly elections, then it is very important to secure the Brahmin vote bank. On Friday, several Brahmin leaders of BSP across the state had reached the BSP office to discuss the strategy. There is about 12 per cent of Brahmin voters in the poll-bound state. The general perception in UP politics is that the government is formed by the parties who have the support of Brahmins. If we look at the results of the last assembly elections, then this proves to be true.

In the 2007 assembly elections, Brahmins supported the BSP, which came to power. In the 2012 assembly elections, the Brahmins went with the Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. However, Brahmins switched their loyalties to the BJP, allowing them to win 71 seats out of 78. The Brahmins also played a key role in cementing BJP and allies in the 2017 UP assembly elections with 325 seats.