The traditional BSP stronghold of Jewar hit the headlines when Rahul Gandhi visited the area between May and July last year after clashes between the district administration and farmers over land acquisition. Since then, most believed that the seat held by BSP would be lost to the Congress. However, the poll results show that the Bhatta-Parsaul land row, that formed the launching pad for the Congress' UP poll campaign, did not yield the desired result for the party. Despite the dissent voiced against BSP supremo Mayawati across Jewar in the recent past, the party won the seat with a margin of 9,550 votes.
The Congress trailed second and Rahul's forays did not translate into electoral advantage. Most voters, as well as Jewar candidates, say that the caste factor proved to be decisive in the outcome.
The Jewar assembly seat, comprising of Jewar and Dankaur blocks, is dominated by two powerful caste groups -Gujjars and Thakurs. Voters say that as there were "four Thakur candidates in the fray this time, it created a major dent in the Congress' share of votes."
Of the total 2.5 lakh voters in Jewar, there are about 55,000 Thakurs, 53,000 Gujjars, 20,000 Brahmins and Jats each, and 40,000 Muslims. The rest of the voters comprise mainly of Valmikis and Jatavs.
"While the results at the state level indicate that the class factor challenged caste and religion this time in the rest of the state, in Jewar caste equations played supreme," said Om Veer Singh, the village head of Bhatta. "The Gujjar's stayed loyal to their caste and supported BSP's Vedram Bhati. Besides, four Thakur candidates, including the Congress party's Dhirendra Singh, contested from the seat. That might have further cost the Congress," he added.
"Rahul Gandhi certainly won hearts in Bhatta and Parsaul and other villages in the Dankaur block, but those in the rest of Jewar probably felt that we received crores worth of compensation money for our land, bought cars and married off our daughters. And when it was their turn to get the money, we initiated the land agitation," said Asharam Sharma, another resident of Bhatta village.
The poll results in Bhatta and Parsaul, though, further suggest that other than Rahul Gandhi's charm the Congress found little appeal among voters. For, out of the 446 votes cast in Bhatta village, the Congress claimed only 176, while the BSP grossed 212.
Jailed farmer leader and Janata Dal (United) candidate from Jewar, Manveer Tewatia, too failed to make a mark in the constituency and bagged about 1,700 votes.
Besides the role of caste equations, voters attributed a score of other reasons like the "absence of strong regional leaders to the lack of influential candidates" behind the Congress' loss and BSP's victory in the constituency. The victorious BSP candidate, Ved Ram Bhati, summed up the results as a "vindication of the party's commitment to development." "Despite Rahul Gandhi's antics, the voters proved their loyalty to BSP," Bhati said.
The Congress trailed second and Rahul's forays did not translate into electoral advantage. Most voters, as well as Jewar candidates, say that the caste factor proved to be decisive in the outcome.
The Jewar assembly seat, comprising of Jewar and Dankaur blocks, is dominated by two powerful caste groups -Gujjars and Thakurs. Voters say that as there were "four Thakur candidates in the fray this time, it created a major dent in the Congress' share of votes."
Of the total 2.5 lakh voters in Jewar, there are about 55,000 Thakurs, 53,000 Gujjars, 20,000 Brahmins and Jats each, and 40,000 Muslims. The rest of the voters comprise mainly of Valmikis and Jatavs.
"While the results at the state level indicate that the class factor challenged caste and religion this time in the rest of the state, in Jewar caste equations played supreme," said Om Veer Singh, the village head of Bhatta. "The Gujjar's stayed loyal to their caste and supported BSP's Vedram Bhati. Besides, four Thakur candidates, including the Congress party's Dhirendra Singh, contested from the seat. That might have further cost the Congress," he added.
"Rahul Gandhi certainly won hearts in Bhatta and Parsaul and other villages in the Dankaur block, but those in the rest of Jewar probably felt that we received crores worth of compensation money for our land, bought cars and married off our daughters. And when it was their turn to get the money, we initiated the land agitation," said Asharam Sharma, another resident of Bhatta village.
The poll results in Bhatta and Parsaul, though, further suggest that other than Rahul Gandhi's charm the Congress found little appeal among voters. For, out of the 446 votes cast in Bhatta village, the Congress claimed only 176, while the BSP grossed 212.
Jailed farmer leader and Janata Dal (United) candidate from Jewar, Manveer Tewatia, too failed to make a mark in the constituency and bagged about 1,700 votes.
Besides the role of caste equations, voters attributed a score of other reasons like the "absence of strong regional leaders to the lack of influential candidates" behind the Congress' loss and BSP's victory in the constituency. The victorious BSP candidate, Ved Ram Bhati, summed up the results as a "vindication of the party's commitment to development." "Despite Rahul Gandhi's antics, the voters proved their loyalty to BSP," Bhati said.
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