Are Reserved Constituencies Dalit Centric? Experience from Uttar Pradesh

Published date01 June 2019
AuthorShilp Shikha Singh,Manjur Ali
Date01 June 2019
DOI10.1177/2321023019838652
Subject MatterArticles
Article
Are Reserved Constituencies
Dalit Centric? Experience from
Uttar Pradesh
Shilp Shikha Singh1
Manjur Ali1
Abstract
In the state of Uttar Pradesh, Dalits have largely been elected only from the reserved seats, and their
representation from non-reserved seats has remained negligible. Apart from ensuring political pres-
ence, how do reserved seats impinge on the Dalit politics within the constituency? Who determines
the election outcome in the reserved seats? The article argues that in the reserved seats of the State
of Uttar Pradesh, Dalit votes remain at best adjunct votes, to the core support base of the respective
parties. There is evidence of systemic political backlash from non-Dalit voters against Dalit voters in
reserved constituencies. Various parties play a significant role in orchestrating this backlash to help
their candidates win. The weak position of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the party of Dalits in the
reserved seats, is an indication of such a backlash. This backlash is largely aimed at the dominant Dalit
group, the Chamars, who are treated as political untouchables by one and all, across caste and class.
Keywords
Dalit, votes, backlash, reserved constituency, Uttar Pradesh, BSP
Introduction
The election of Dalits in reserved constituencies was part of the larger inclusive agenda of the post-
independent Indian state. It ensured the political representation of a hitherto marginalized group of
people in state and national politics. In fact, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Dalits have been elected only
from reserved seats. Parties have largely refrained from giving tickets to Dalits in unreserved seats. Even
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), a party of Dalits, has relied on non-Dalit candidates in unreserved seats. So
it would not be wrong to say that the political representation of Dalits could be maintained only through
the provision of reserved seats. Having accepted this, the article moves forward with the constituency-
level analysis of the nature of Dalit representation.
Studies in Indian Politics
7(1) 70–82, 2019
© 2019 Lokniti, Centre for the
Study of Developing Societies
Reprints and permissions:
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DOI: 10.1177/2321023019838652
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1 Giri Institute of Development Studies, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Corresponding author:
Shilp Shikha Singh, Giri Institute of Development Studies, Sector O, Aliganj Housing Scheme, Lucknow, Uttar
Pradesh 226024, India
E-mail: shilpshikha@rediffmail.com

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