'Caste' secures Saroj's nomination from Machchlishahar despite slim 181-vote victory

PM Modi along with BP Saroj alias Bholanath

Eyebrows were raised within political circles as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) decided to grant a ticket to its sitting MP, BP Saroj alias Bholanath, from Machchlishahar, despite his razor-thin victory margin of merely 181 votes in the previous election—the smallest victory margin in India.

Speculations swirled regarding Saroj's potential replacement, causing his announcement as the candidate for Machchlishahar to be delayed until the third list of candidates for the BJP. Insiders within the BJP attribute Saroj's renomination to his caste affiliation, belonging to the Pasi community, which holds significant sway over voters in the Lok Sabha constituency.

"A significant number of voters in Machchlishahar belong to the Saroj caste, and the BJP strategically aimed to capitalize on this demographic," revealed a BJP source. “Furthermore, the BJP sought to maintain caste equilibrium in eastern Uttar Pradesh by nominating Vinod Sonkar, another Dalit candidate, in the neighboring Kaushambi constituency,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also meticulously curated the candidate selection across adjoining constituencies of his Parliamentary constituency of Varanasi to ensure representation from various castes. For instance, Mahendra Nath Pandey, a Brahmin, represents Chandauli, while Ghazipur boasts Parasnath Rai, a Bhumihar, and Jaunpur features Thakur Kripra Shankar Singh.

Additionally, Mirzapur sees the BJP's ally, Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel, a backward caste in fray.

Despite speculation about Saroj's potential replacement by BJP MLA Tribhuvan Ram from Ajgara, the party high command reposed faith on Saroj because of his performance. “Moreover, his caste emerged as instrumental factors securing his candidacy this time,” the BJP leader told Money Control.

Notably, Saroj clinched victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by a mere 181 votes, despite the BJP's substantial lead in the Pindra assembly constituency, which falls under the Machchlishahar parliamentary seat.

The Machhilishahr Lok Sabha constituency encompasses Machhilishahr, Madiyahu, Zafarabad, Kerakat, and Pindra assembly segments of Varanasi.

Saroj emerged triumphant in 2019, defeating BSP's Tribhuvan Ram, who has since crossed over to the BJP and currently serves as the MLA from Ajgara.

The electoral history of Machchlishahar reflects BJP's dominance, with a unilateral victory in 2014 when Ramcharitra Nishad secured the seat. In that election, Nishad defeated BP Saroj of BSP by a significant margin of 172,155 votes. However, the dynamics shifted in 2019 when Saroj emerged victorious by a narrow margin of 181 votes.

While the BJP has confirmed Saroj's candidacy, the Samajwadi Party and BSP are yet to announce their contenders for the upcoming election, leaving the political landscape in Machchlishahar poised for an intriguing contest.