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There was a time when Swami Prasad Maurya used to be very influential in the politics of Uttar Pradesh. Swami Prasad was considered the right hand of BSP chief Mayawati and the OBC face of the party. As a result, even after losing the election, Mayawati made him a cabinet minister in her government, but today Swami Prasad is empty handed. The 2027 assembly elections are the last chance for Swami Prasad, who has lost everything in politics, to emerge. In such a situation, is Swami Prasad Maurya now fighting to save his political existence with the help of BSP founder Kanshi Ram?
From BSP to BJP and then SP, Swami Prasad Maurya has formed his own party, named Apni Janata Party. Swami Prasad Maurya is now going to start a journey from March 15 under the banner of his party, for which the chariot is also ready. Swami Prasad has chosen the day of birth anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram to ride on the Rath Yatra. Swami Prasad Maurya will start the Rath Yatra by garlanding the statue of Kanshi Ram in Lucknow on Saturday, which will go to Pratapgarh and Prayagraj via Rae Bareli.
Swami Prasad Maurya will go on a Rath Yatra
Swami Prasad Maurya has named his yatra as ‘Samvidhan Samman and Janhit Rath Yatra’. Apart from this, his agenda can be understood by choosing the day of Kanshiram’s birth anniversary. In this way, it is clear that he has made a strategy to openly do Dalit-OBC politics on the issue of social justice. On the pretext of Rath Yatra, he is trying to regain his lost support base, because after leaving BSP, he could not find a strong political base. He could not stay in BJP for five years and could barely stay in SP for one year.
Swami Prasad was in BSP-BJP-SP
Swami Prasad Maurya entered the politics of Uttar Pradesh in the 80s. He started his political journey from Lok Dal and remained in Janata Dal, but got political heights while being in BSP. During this time, he became MLA, minister and MLC. He was a minister in the government from BSP to BJP. He was considered close to Mayawati. He was from BSP’s state president to national general secretary and leader of opposition in the assembly. BSP chief Mayawati had once tried to attract people of Maurya-Kushwaha community through Swami Prasad Maurya. Swami Prasad Maurya had maintained his dominance in UP politics due to these votes, but now the situation has changed.
What will Swami be able to achieve through Rath Yatra?
Swami Prasad Maurya calls himself an Ambedkarite and a leader who follows the principles of Kanshiram. He openly does Dalit-OBC politics for social justice. Swami Prasad is considered a non-Yadav OBC face in Uttar Pradesh politics, especially among his community Maurya, Shakya, Saini and Kushwaha communities. In such a situation, Swami Prasad is now going on a tour of UP after forming his own party. With this excuse, he will gauge the political ground and his hold in the state, because his community is now divided between BJP and SP. Swami Prasad Maurya is neither in power nor is he a member of the Vidhan Sabha or any House. In such a situation, it is not easy for Swami to unite his community.
He came into politics in the eighties, but since 1996, Swami Prasad Maurya has been continuously holding a big position in UP politics, through which he has managed to make a good hold among his society. The result of the hold of Maurya society is that Swami Prasad Maurya hails from Pratapgarh, but he once won elections from Rae Bareli, and now he has made Kushinagar of Purvanchal his karmabhoomi. Swami Prasad Maurya made his daughter an MP from Badaun in Rohilkhand and many of his close Maurya community leaders have been MLAs in different areas of UP.
Strong hold among Maurya society
While in BSP, Swami Prasad has obliged his close leaders a lot and the result of that was that when he went to BJP, many leaders joined him. Similarly, before the 2022 elections, when Swami joined SP, many BJP leaders and MLAs also entered. After separating from SP, he formed his own new political party, which is named Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party. After this, he changed the name of the party to his Janata Party. Now through this party, Swami Prasad Maurya has made a plan to do politics of Dalits and backward classes, for which he is going on a yatra.
In Uttar Pradesh, after Yadavs and Kurmis, the third largest caste group among OBCs is of Maurya community. Maurya-Kushwaha population is around 7 percent in UP, but in about 15 districts it is around 15 percent. Kushwaha-Maurya-Shakya and Saini communities are influential in Lucknow and its surrounding Purvanchal. Kushwaha community is dominant in Bundelkhand, while Shakya community is quite influential in potato belt area of Etah, Badaun, Mainpuri, Etawah and its surrounding districts. Saini community is dominant in Saharanpur and its surrounding districts.
Swami Prasad Maurya is going on a Rath Yatra after forming his own party and his eyes are on the areas dominated by Maurya community. Along with Maurya community, he also wants to gain the trust of Dalit community, for which he has made a strategy to take out a yatra on Kanshiram’s birth anniversary. Not only this, he has also kept the agenda of the yatra as respect for the Constitution. In this way, his political intention can be understood, because the preparations for the 2027 assembly elections have started. In such a situation, Swami Prasad Maurya is also trying to save his political existence, for which he is going on a yatra.
