THE GODS OF SMALL JINKS

Call them the political version of MSMEs—micro, small and medium-sized enterprises crucial to the BJP’s gameplan in UP. Why are they suddenly restive?

- Avaneesh Mishra

In Uttar Pradesh, the smallest players always punch above their weight—and often land the meatier cuts. It’s a function of the high-value political real estate market they operate in. So why are the tiny NDA allies who make up the BJP’s retinue suddenly acting up? Well, panchayat elections are due next year and the crucial assembly polls follow in 2027. So, they can smell good meat, and piqued appetites have got them all restless. The Apna Dal(S) has begun airing its grievances in public. The Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (NISHAD) party is threatening to walk out if its demand for SC status for fisherfolk is not met. The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), which has made fickleness its calling card, has turned up the volume on increasing the OBC quota share for Rajbhars. These parties have historically stayed afloat and thrived by sensing which way the wind is blowing—shifting sides is an innate skill, a tradition. With the BJP facing a two-term anti-incumbency and the Samajwadi Party out shopping for affections, these allies know their bargaining power is at its peak. Where they choose to go could redraw the political map of India’s most consequential state.

NISHAD PARTY

Sanjay Nishad, President