Opinion | Dalit Vote In Uttar Pradesh: From BSP Monopoly To A Three-Way Fight
As the 2027 election approaches, Dalits, who make up about one in five voters, could decide who governs India’s most populous state. Uttar Pradesh’s politics has long run on caste arithmetic, and no bloc has been more consequential or more contested in recent years than the Dalits. Scheduled Castes (SCs) account for about 21% of the state’s population. For decades, they were seen as the private preserve of Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). That is no longer true. Ahead of the 2027 assembly election, the BJP, the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Congress alliance, and newer outfits like Azad Samaj Party are all courting Dalit voters, and their outcome could shape the next government. A vote that reaches far The Dalit population is not evenly spread. Kaushambi, Sitapur, Hardoi, Rae Bareli, and Unnao districts each have SC populations above 30%. At the other end, Shamli, Baghpat, Moradabad, Bareilly, and Balrampur districts sit between 11% and 13%. Eight assembly seats have an SC population above 40%, while 144 seats have less than 10%. It matters most in the 122 seats where SCs make up 20-30% of the population. Across 148 of the state’s 403 seats, the Dalit share exceeds the state average, and these are the seats where the community can most influence the result. Latest and Breaking News on NDTV Two communities, not one The Dalit electorate is not monolithic. Jatavs, about 12% of voters, are the BSP’s traditional core. Non-Jatav SCs, about 9%, are a more fragmented group, and the BSP was never as dominant among them. Its support there ran between 44% and 54% through 2017. Jatavs stayed loyal for two decades. BSP support in the community ranged from 60% to 87%, and it held firm even in 2022, when the party won a single seat. The break came only in 2024, when the BSP’s Jatav share fell to 44%. Non-Jatavs moved first The non-Jatavs left first. The BJP’s share among them jumped from 7% to 33% in 2017, a gain of 26 points, and reached 40% in 2022. This “non-Jatav SC consolidation” was central to the party’s 2017 sweep. The BJP exploited the differences between the two Dalit groups and built a coalition of upper castes, non-Yadav OBCs, and non-Jatav SCs that accounted for roughly 60% of the population. Meanwhile, the BSP’s non-Jatav support fell to 27% in 2022 and 15% in 2024. The BJP’s Jatav numbers stayed in single digits until 2017, then rose to 20% in 2022 and 24% in 2024. 2024: the reversal The 2024 general election broke the pattern. Non-Jatav SC support for the SP and its ally, the Congress, together constituents of the “INDIA bloc”, rose from 23% in 2022 to 56%. The BJP’s share among non-Jatavs dropped from 40% to 29%. The presence of the Congress in the alliance helped, as did the campaign warning that the Constitution and reservations were in danger. Latest and Breaking News on NDTV Jatavs moved too. Their support for the SP+ nearly tripled from 9% to 25%, matching the BJP among the community for the first time. The BSP’s lost votes did not go to one place. Non-Jatavs went mostly to the SP+, while Jatavs split between the SP+ and the BJP. The loss of the non-Jatav bloc cost the BJP a crucial 9% support gained by the SP+. Projected onto assembly segments, the SP+ led in about 225 seats and the BJP+ in 174, against a simple majority mark of 202 largely on account of this movement. The seat-level story The shifts show up clearly in the 148 seats with above-average Dalit populations: 2012: The SP dominated with 91 seats, the BSP had 34 and the BJP just 8. 2017: The BJP won 118 of the 148, and the SP fell to 14. 2022: The BJP held 93, the SP recovered to 43 and the BSP won none. 2024 (assembly segments): The SP+ led in about 94 segments, a gain of 51, while the BJP led in 44, a loss of 49. The BSP has gone from 34 seats in these constituencies to zero. Even where its base is most concentrated, it is no longer the force it was, and it may not even play spoiler. A weakened Mayawati, a growing challenger The BSP’s decline has hurt the party’s standing beyond arithmetic. Mayawati is seen as less active and less forceful than in her prime, and the “B-team of the BJP” label has stuck to her, feeding the perception that the BSP splits opposition votes to the ruling party’s benefit. New players are trying to fill the space. Chandrashekhar Azad “Ravan” of the Azad Samaj Party (ASP) is gaining some traction among Dalit youth, having won the Nagina Lok Sabha seat, though his party’s reach is still limited. Aakash Anand, Mayawati’s nephew, who was reappointed as national coordinator on October 5, just 25 days after being expelled on September 10, is trying to revive the BSP vote base. The parties’ strategies Each major party is tailoring its pitch. The SP is planning to field SC candidates even in general, unreserved seats. The tactic worked in 2024, when the party won Faizabad (Ayodhya) with a Dalit candidate. It is also reportedly adopting blue, the colour associated with Dalit identity and Ambedkarite politics, for the dress of its student wing, the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha. The BJP faces a more delicate task. It hopes to win back non-Jatavs through welfare schemes and to attract Jatavs through political representation. Having built its rise on non-Jatav support, it cannot afford to lose that base for good. The BSP is attempting to revive its SC votebank through Aakash, who is decently popular amongst youth and is Mayawati’s counter to Ravan. He addressed his first post-reinstatement public rally in Bulandshahr on October 28, pledging his loyalty to Mayawati and urging workers to prepare for the elections. Who benefits from the BSP’s fall? The BSP’s decline has so far helped the SP more than the BJP, in both 2022 and 2024. That matters for
JNU PhD Admissions: CPI(M) MP Flags Shortfall in Seats for Dalit, Adivasi and Disabled Students
CPI(M) Lok Sabha MP K Radhakrishnan has written to Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi seeking urgent intervention over an alleged shortfall in reserved seats for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates in Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) PhD admissions for the 2026-27 academic year. In a letter dated October 29, Radhakrishnan, who represents Alathur in Kerala, alleged that the university had drastically reduced the number of seats allocated to these categories in its PhD admission prospectus. According to the letter, JNU has allocated 38 seats to ST candidates against the 53 required under the 7.5% reservation quota out of 711 seats. SC candidates have been allocated 103 seats against the 107 required under the 15% quota. The shortfall is also evident in the PwBD category. Against the 5% reservation requirement of 36 seats, the university has allocated only 17, according to the MP. Radhakrishnan said the prospectus therefore fell short by a total of 38 seats across the three categories: 15 for ST candidates, four for SC candidates and 19 for PwBD candidates. “This denial of constitutional representation in one of India’s premier higher education institutions is a clear violation of social justice and equity,” he wrote, adding that such practices deprived marginalised students of higher academic opportunities. Indiatravel guide He urged the education minister to direct the JNU administration to withdraw the prospectus, correct the seat allocation and restore the reserved seats without delay. Students Protest Alleged Reservation Shortfall The MP’s intervention comes amid an ongoing protest at JNU over the PhD admission process. The Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA) has been holding an indefinite sit-in at the university’s T-Point since October 24, alleging irregularities in the allocation of reserved seats. The organisation claims that 15 ST seats and four SC seats have been left unfilled and has demanded that they be re-notified. BAPSA has also questioned the exclusion of candidates from the June 2025 UGC-NET cycle, which it says was initially included in the list of eligible cycles but later left out without prior notice. The organisation has further alleged that the administration agreed to form a committee to examine the reservation issue but proceeded to notify the PhD viva voce process without resolving the matter. JNUSU councillor Komal Devi said the university had issued an admission notice halting admissions under the NET category, while JRF-category admissions were scheduled to begin on October 30. She said the protest would continue until the 15 ST and four SC seats were re-notified, and warned that students would oppose the viva voce process if their demands were not addressed. BAPSA has also called for the implementation of reservation in the interview process, the publication of category-wise seat allocations across departments and centres, and the implementation of recommendations made by various university committees. The organisation has released figures alleging that JNU failed to meet reservation requirements across SC, ST, OBC and PwBD categories over the past decade. These figures have not been independently verified. Radhakrishnan is a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs and the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Courtesy : TOP Note: This news is originally published on https:/theobserverpost.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Telangana Dalit youth dies by suicide after alleging harassment by police, government hospital doctor
Police claimed there was no truth to the allegation that the deceased was beaten up at the police station, saying video proof was available in this connection Hyderabad: A Dalit youth allegedly died by suicide in Adilabad, Telangana, accusing police and hospital staff of insulting him after he went seeking medical treatment for a scorpion bite, with the police refuting his claim that they beat him up. According to police, Kamble Rahul (27), who was bitten by a scorpion on the evening of August 28, went to the state-run RIMS hospital in Adilabad for treatment, where he started filming a video alleging negligence. This led to an argument with a doctor who called the police. Police took him to a station and handed him over to his father. Later, he died by suicide at his residence by hanging himself, police said on Friday. In a purported suicide note, he alleged that the doctor rebuked him and police beat him up, they said. A case was registered regarding the incident and began an investigation, Police said. Police also claimed there was no truth to the allegation that the deceased was beaten up at the police station, saying video proof was available in this connection. Protesting the incident, Dalit organisations staged a dharna at the hospital on Thursday demanding justice for the deceased’s family. The opposition BJP and BRS demanded justice for the family, including payment of ex gratia. Observing that Rahul was the family’s breadwinner, BJP MLA Payal Shankar demanded a time-bound inquiry into the incident and a job for a family member. He found fault with hospital staff complaining to the police against Rahul and the police for allegedly harassing him. Courtesy : The Pioneer Note: This news is originally published on https:/thepioneer.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Koyyala Ruth becomes India’s first Dalit transgender doctor; Dr. Ambedkar becomes an inspiration
Ruth says that Dr. Ambedkar advocated for the dignity of every human being, not just men and women. As a Dalit transgender woman, Ruth was deeply inspired by Babasaheb Ambedkar’s struggle against caste discrimination and his zeal for education. On one hand, the dream of becoming a doctor, on the other, a long battle for her identity and dignity. But fighting this battle, 31-year-old Dr. Koyyala Ruth John Paul has made history. Ruth is one of the first Dalit transgender women in India to earn an MD degree in Emergency Medicine. She has since treated patients at the ESIC Hospital in Hyderabad. Now, her dream is to become a doctor and treat people in a government hospital. The story begins in Khammam, Telangana. Ruth, the daughter of a mother who became a daily wage laborer after her father died of a heart attack in 2006, would have lost her courage if any other child had been in Ruth’s place. But Ruth learned to fight, and in this fight, Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar became her inspiration. Her mother raised her three children in extremely difficult circumstances. Despite these difficult circumstances, Ruth continued her studies, passed her 10th and 12th grade exams with good marks, and dreamed of becoming a doctor. In Nikhila Henry’s report published in the Indian Express, Ruth says that Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar’s thoughts and struggle have had a profound influence on her life. She says that Dr. Ambedkar always advocated for basic human dignity. He spoke of respect for every human being, not just men or women. As a Dalit transgender woman, Ruth was deeply inspired by Babasaheb Ambedkar’s struggle against caste discrimination and his zeal for education. But the greatest of all challenges was accepting her gender identity. For Ruth, this struggle began from childhood. She enrolled in medical school with the female gender she was assigned at birth. However, in her third year of medical college, she revealed her transgender identity to her family. According to Ruth, her family couldn’t accept this truth. She was beaten and thrown out of the house. At that time, she faced extremely difficult circumstances for livelihood. She had the option of begging or sex work, paths often forced upon the transgender community. But Ruth didn’t give up. During this difficult time, she met Hyderabad-based transgender activists Rachana Mudraboyina and Vaijayanti Vasantha Mogli, who helped Ruth. They recognized her talent and gave her a chance to progress. Thanks to this support, she completed her MBBS from a medical college in Hyderabad in 2019. And as often happens, after Ruth’s success, her family has also accepted her. But the struggle continued. The path to further education after MBBS was not easy. Ruth appeared for and passed the NEET-PG exam three times between 2021 and 2023. While she was allowed to register as a SC transwoman in the application form, she was included in the female category during counseling. Ruth appealed to the Telangana High Court in 2021, demanding recognition as a transgender woman from a Scheduled Caste. In 2022, the National Medical Commission (NMC) wrote to her, stating that there was no precedent for including her under the transgender category in counseling. Therefore, her case was separate. The legal battle in this matter continues. Meanwhile, in 2023, the Telangana High Court issued an interim order allowing her admission to the medical program, but under the female category. Ruth argues that as a Dalit transgender woman, the Constitution entitles her to reservations under both the Scheduled Caste and transgender categories. However, the NMC places her among female candidates. Despite this, Ruth continued her studies and finally passed the MD exam on October 9th. However, Ruth’s exam was still pending. Even after completing her MBBS, Ruth faced difficulties finding a job as a doctor. For a while, she worked as a temporary doctor at the Mitra Transgender Clinic. However, she finally secured a position as a doctor at the ESIC Hospital in Hyderabad. Getting an MD degree is a major achievement for Dr. Ruth. But her dream doesn’t end there. She wants to work in a government hospital to provide better treatment not only to members of her community but also to those in need who cannot afford private hospitals. Ruth continues to pursue this dream. Dr. Ruth’s story isn’t just about earning a medical degree. It’s also about the struggle for caste-based discrimination, gender identity, education, and respect. A story that demonstrates that despite difficult circumstances and discrimination, when a great leader like Dr. Ambedkar is considered a role model, paths can be forged through education and determination. Dr. Pooja Rai Dr. Pooja Rai is a teacher by profession. She has a keen interest in women’s issues and humanitarian news. Her books, “Aadhi Aabadi Ka Dard” and “Sapno Ke Pankh” (Faces of Dreams), were very popular. Courtesy: Hindi News
India’s poverty will be down from 14.2% to 12.1% in 2 years: World Bank
NEW DELHI: World Bank has said that poverty in India, defined at $4.2 a day, will decline from 14.2% in 2026 to 12.1% by 2028. Between 2011 and 2023, it is estimated that the share of the population living below $4.2 a day declined from 57.7% to 16.1%, lifting an estimated 496 million people out of poverty. It said that extreme poverty ($3 a day) declined from 27.1% to 2.6% during this period. “This progress was mainly driven by strong consumption growth; rising employment, especially among women; and expanded social transfers, including food subsidies. As poverty declined, it became increasingly concentrated among households with lower education, fewer assets, limited access to stable employment, and higher dependency ratios. Wage disparities, however, remain pronounced, as median earnings among the top 10% of workers were about 13 times those of the bottom 10% in 2023,” World Bank said in its latest Poverty & Equity brief. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman cheered the decline in poverty in the country, pointing out that the report recognised India’s progress as a country with one of the fastest poverty declines in the world. “Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, govt’s sustained policy efforts are yielding tangible results, strengthening the foundations for inclusive growth and greater economic opportunity. This is the reason why NDA govt wins people’s trust and mandate of our citizens. We remain committed to building on this progress through productive employment, stronger household incomes and effective delivery of public services, so that aspirations of our people are met,” she posted on X. World Bank also noted that between 2017 and 2023, employment increased by about 134 million people, nearly twice the growth of the working-age population, with major gains driven by rural women entering paid work and raising the number of earners in households. “Labour market conditions continue to be broadly resilient, with labour force participation and employment rates stable between Q1 FY 2026 and Q1 FY 2027. However, youth unemployment rose from 14.6% to 15.9% between the two quarters, particularly among rural young women. Moreover, real earnings remained broadly unchanged with employment growth concentrated in relatively low-productivity activities,” it said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
BJP mock Parliament cruel joke on democracy: Congress
NEW DELHI: Congress Friday mocked the “BJP-sponsored mock parliament” in the capital as a “cruel joke”, even as opposition was forced to postpone its “public impeachment” of CEC Gyanesh Kumar to Saturday because of bad weather. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal claimed “BJP-sponsored outfits” held a ‘mock parliament’ Friday after BJP has made a “mockery” of Parliament for the last 12 years. “First treat Parliament as rubber-stamp to steamroll bills and silence opposition and now run a ‘mock parliament’ to make a cruel joke of democracy,” he said, referring to a ‘mock parliament’ on ‘democracy vs anarchy’ at NDMC Convention Centre. Amid rain and flanked by INDIA bloc members, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi Friday invited all to attend the Nov 1 “Chalo Dilli” rally at Ramlila Maidan. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul Gandhi vs Nirmala Sitharaman round 2, this time over IDBI Bank stake sale
NEW DELHI: Congress’s Rahul Gandhi and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman sparred on social media over govt’s decision to sell its stake in IDBI Bank with the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha backing protesting employees.A day after he wrote to “members of the IDBI bank family”, Rahul accused govt of selling banks in contrast to banks being established during Congress’s tenure. “During Congress’ time, IDBI was established – to build the nation’s industry. During Modi’s time, first the bidding was seen, then the price was set,” he posted on X. He also questioned the need to sell stake in the bank, which registered a profit of Rs 9,000 crore last year. Responding to him, Sitharaman accused Congress of using banks and financial institutions as “personal entities” and pressurising employees to “extend loans at their whim, bypassing prudent lending norms”. She said Modi govt inherited IDBI Bank, which was in poor shape, as Congress politicians forced it to lend money to business houses, such as Videocon, Winsome Diamond, ABG Shipyard and Kingfisher, with which they had close ties. “These turned into bad loans, causing huge losses for IDBI Bank, which we recognised.” She said with a recapitalisation of Rs 25,000 crore, Modi govt brought it back to health. “IDBI Bank is now poised for its next phase of growth,” FM said, while asserting that due process has been followed in the “strategic restructuring” of IDBI, rebutting reports of govt not following rules while finalising the transaction, which will generate over Rs 52,000 crore for Centre and LIC. “Congress-era banking had a phonebook for the powerful and a rulebook for common citizens. The era of ‘connection and setting banking’ is over. Common people now have easy access to loans, and employees are not under pressure to extend loans on the phone calls,” she said. IDBI Bank unions have called a strike on Nov 2 and 3 against govt’s move to sell its stake. Rahul backed the employees. “I stand with you in your fight today, and fully support all your legitimate demands,” he said. Rahul said he had asked a question in Parliament about the reason for the decision to sell a profitable bank. “Govt gave no reason. Now it has decided to sell IDBI Bank to Fairfax, a Canadian company,” he wrote, referring to his meeting with employees last March. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Man gets life term for raping Dalit minor during 2020 Covid lockdown
Bulandshahr: A Pocso court in UP’s Bulandshahr has sentenced a 24-year-old man to life imprisonment and Rs 30,000 fine for kidnapping and raping a 14-year-old Dalit girl during the Covid lockdown in 2020. The girl was burnt to death about four months after the crime. On the afternoon of Aug 14, 2020, the girl went to an orchard and when she did not return by evening, her family and villagers looked for her through the night. She was found in a cane field nearby, in an unconscious state the next evening. The girl later told her family how she was abducted, forcibly sedated and assaulted. The accused was held and an FIR was registered under IPC 363 (kidnapping), 376 (rape), 342 (wrongful confinement) along with Pocso and SC/ST acts. Special public prosecutor Bharat Sharma said, “Girl had initially testified before court. She was burnt alive a few months later. Two men were convicted in a separate murder case. The trial in the rape case continued on the basis of her father’s testimony, police investigation, medical reports and other evidence.” Pronouncing the verdict Wednesday, the additional sessions judge Shagun Panwar described the crime against the minor as “heinous” and stressed the need for strict punishment. It also ordered that 50% of the fine be paid to her dependents. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Tamil Nadu: Dalits gain entry into temple after 50 years, IPS Shahnaz Ilyas’s initiative in the news
In Kallakurichi, Tamil Nadu, the Adi Dravidian community has been granted the right to worship in a temple after 50 years. Learn about the role of IPS Shahnaz Ilyas and her success story. Tamil Nadu. In Kallakurichi district, Tamil Nadu, members of the Adi Dravidian community have been granted the right to enter and worship in a temple after nearly 50 years. Following this initiative, which took place in the second week of September, the role of the district’s Superintendent of Police (SP), IPS Shahnaz Ilyas, is in the news. According to media reports, following the local administration’s initiative, the temple’s doors have been opened to members of the Adi Dravidian community. Members of the community will now be able to enter and worship. This move is being considered significant in ending long-standing social discrimination. According to reports, Kallakurichi Superintendent of Police (SP) Shahnaz Ilyas was honored by Tamil Nadu government minister Vanni Arasu for this initiative. Who is IPS Shahnaz Ilyas? Shahnaz Ilyas is a 2021 batch IPS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre. She secured the 217th rank in the 2020 Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination. Notably, she prepared for the exam during her maternity leave and succeeded. Before becoming an IPS officer, she worked in the IT sector for about five years. Virendra Kumar Virendra Kumar has been in journalism since 2020. He is a sub-editor at Dalit Dastak. His interests include education, politics, and sports. Virendra has a keen interest in the camera and often works as a video journalist. Courtesy: Hindi News
UP Elections 2027: BSP’s focus will be on employment and reservation
Ahead of the 2027 UP Assembly elections, the BSP has prepared to make Dalit self-respect, reservation, and employment its primary issues. Akash Anand is actively involved in the campaign to connect with the youth. Lucknow. In view of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has intensified its political activities. The party is preparing to contest the elections by focusing on issues such as Dalit self-respect, reservation, and employment. Through this, the BSP aims to reunify its traditional Dalit voters and strengthen its hold among the youth. Akash Anand has been fielded for this purpose. The BSP’s strategy was launched by the party’s National Convenor, Akash Anand, with a workers’ conference held in Bulandshahr’s Anupshahr Assembly constituency. Starting October 28th, Akash Anand launched the party’s campaign with meetings in Bulandshahr. Issues of Dalit self-respect and reservation are being given prominence in the party’s strategy. Additionally, efforts are being made to engage youth by raising the issue of employment. The party is particularly targeting Gen-G (young voters). At the same time, efforts to engage Jat and Gurjar voters in western Uttar Pradesh are also part of the BSP’s strategy. Candidate Selection Based on Caste Equations The BSP is also considering caste-based factors when selecting candidates for the upcoming assembly elections. According to party sources, BSP chief Mayawati is reviewing the names of potential candidates for key constituencies and their winning prospects. Raj Kumar Courtesy: Hindi News