Caste plays crucial role in poll strategies in Kangra

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 15

Caste plays a prominent role in election strategies of the candidates in the forthcoming Assembly elections in Kangra, politically the most significant district of the state having 15 Assembly segments. With the elections for 13th Assembly of Himachal drawing close, caste affiliations are being put to use by probable candidates and their supporters. Kinships and caste equations are being used as strategies to garner votes.

Sources here said that Rajputs are in a majority in the Kangra district. Rajputs constitute about 34 per cent of the total electorate in Kangra. Rajputs are followed closely by OBCs at about 32 per cent and Brahmins comprise about 20 per cent of the electorate. The remaining 14 per cent of the electorate are gaddi and gujjar tribals and members of the Schedule Caste community.

The sources available here said that the parties are trying to strike a balance among various castes in distribution of tickets. Efforts are being made to give due representation of Rajput, Brahmin, OBC and Gaddi leaders in Kangra that decides the political fortunes in the state.

Shiv Pal, a Rajput leader form Jaisinghpur area, said that the caste does matter in elections as the strong family ties and kinship help in elections. “We are approached by relatives and caste bodies to vote in favour of particular candidates”, he said.

Congress does not have any prominent Rajput leader in Kangra district. The only Rajput leader in Congress was Sujjan Singh Pathania, minister for agriculture. He, however, remains focused on his own Assembly constituency and did not have pan-Kangra following. Vijay Singh Mankotia of the Congress used to be a strong Rajput leader but he has been pushed to the sidelines. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is the lone Rajput leader in Congress whom the party hopes to influence the Rajputs of Kangra.

The BJP, on the other hand, has comparatively strong Rajput leadership in Kangra. Former minister Ravinder Ravi and former MLA Rakesh Pathania are the prominent Rajput leaders in BJP from Kangra who also claim to hold sway over the Rajput vote bank in the district. Besides, Rajputs also consider Prem Kumar Dhumal, former Chief Minister, as their leader.

Shanta Kumar is the tallest Brahmin leader in the state and is said to be still holding sway over the Brahmin vote bank in the state. Brahmins in the constituency have framed a slogan ‘ab ki bari bare panditji’ (this time it would be elder panditji). The slogans was coined in favour of Shanta Kumar now the BJP MP from Kangra.

Though the leaders are heavily relying on caste equations the past elections have shown that personal relations of candidates and performance as leaders also play a crucial role in elections. In Kangra parliamentary constituency even Sat Mahajan had won despite the fact that his caste had marginal presence in the area. Similarly, in the Assembly elections Congress minister GS Bali has won four times consecutively from Nagrota Bagwan, an Assembly constituency dominated by OBC voters. Nagrota Bagwan assembly constituency has about 52 per cent OBC voters but still Bali, a Brahmin, has been winning from the area for four consecutive times.

Striking a balance the key

• Rajputs constitute about 34 per cent of the total electorate in Kangra. 
• Rajputs are followed closely by OBCs at about 32 per cent and Brahmins comprise about 20 per cent of the electorate. 
• The remaining 14 per cent of the electorate are gaddi and gujjar tribals and members of the Schedule Caste community.
• Sources say that the parties are trying to strike a balance among various castes in distribution of tickets. — Efforts are being made to give due representation of Rajput, Brahmin, OBC and Gaddi leaders in Kangra that decides the political fortunes in the state.