The results of the recent Uttar Pradesh assembly polls herald the arrival of a unique political formula, one which will have a forceful impact on electoral politics throughout India for years to come. As the most populated and politically most significant state in India, Uttar Pradesh has long paved the way for new political ideologies – be it the saffron wave or the bahujan politics that banked on the votes of the majority, the former untouchable castes, the Dalits. With the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) gaining a thumping majority in mid-May, a newfound alliance of Dalits and upper castes (mostly Brahmin and Bania) has proved to be a formidable combination. In its aftermath, political pundits are lauding the victory of this unlikely coalition as an innovative experiment in social engineering, as overseen by BSP supremo Mayawati.
Mayawati, India's first Dalit woman chief minister, has now been sworn in to the post in Uttar Pradesh for a fourth time. With the BSP's clear majority of 206 out of 403 assembly seats, UP is experiencing its first single-party majority in 17 years, since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in power at the height of the 'Ram Janmabhoomi' movement. The most significant change to come about in recent elections has been the decisive entry of deprived castes into mainstream politics, and today there appears to be a realistic opportunity for the Dalit-majority BSP to play a critical role in national politics. Most immediately, this refers to the election of the next president of India, coming up in June. For their part, Mayawati's supporters have already begun to chant: "Now New Delhi!"
A significant part of the BSP's success can, of course, be put down to anti-incumbency sentiment. Poor governance has not helped the Samajwadi Party's image – in particular, the breakdown in law enforcement as made evident in the Nithari child-murders case, the recent murders of several politicians, and the sheer hooliganism of Chief Minister Mulayam Singh's administration. Even film star Amitabh Bachchan's much-advertised slogan 'UP mein hai dum, kyonki jurm yahan hai kum' (UP is powerful, because there is less crime here) did little to change the discontent directed at Mulayam.
Another factor in the BSP's favour was the proactive role of the Election Commission, in ensuring that Dalits could vote in large numbers in the seven rounds of phased polling. The elections also saw a large paramilitary presence – almost 500,000 personnel – which some say was the largest deployment of security forces to have taken place in an Indian election. Such a security cover undoubtedly contributed to another record: for perhaps the first time since Independence, no violence occurred during the UP polls. In certain pockets of eastern UP, Dalits were able to cast their votes for the first time ever.