BJP’s ‘Brahmin MLAs’ hold dinner meet in Lucknow, trigger buzz
Legislators reportedly discuss Brahmin community’s current position, with talk of political strategies on other castes, including BJP’s focus on OBCs
Amid the winter session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, a ‘dinner’ involving Brahmin MLAs has triggered a buzz in political circles.
On Tuesday (December 23) evening, nearly 30 BJP Brahmin legislators gathered at a single venue in Lucknow. The dinner meeting is being viewed in political circles through the lens of Brahmin politics.
Also Read: UP political battle intensifies over 4 crore 'missing' voters
Held behind closed doors, the meeting is being interpreted as a signal of unity within the Brahmin community.
Brahmin MLAs' dinner meeting
The gathering, hosted at the official Lucknow residence of the BJP's Kushinagar MLA PN Pathak, was attended by members of both the Assembly and the Legislative Council.
The gathering reportedly featured a baati-chokha feast, while phalahaar (fruits) was served as several attendees were observing a Tuesday fast.
However, what has sparked discussion is that the dinner-cum-meeting also saw an open exchange on the current position of the Brahmin community.
Those present reportedly included Ratnakar Mishra, Umesh Dwivedi, Prakash Dwivedi, Ramesh Mishra, Shalabh Mani Tripathi, Vipul Dubey, Rakesh Goswami, Ravi Sharma, Vinod Chaturvedi, Vivekanand Pandey, Ankur Raj Tiwari, Vinay Dwivedi, Kailash Nath Shukla and Gyan Tiwari. Notably, Saket Mishra, MLC and son of former principal secretary Nripendra Mishra, was also present.
While the meeting has been described as a ‘community feast’, political analysts see it as an exercise in caste-based power signalling.
Political focus on other castes discussed
When asked about the agenda, the legislators in attendance said that with the Assembly session underway, most MLAs were already in Lucknow and the gathering was merely an informal opportunity to meet.
Some claimed that legislators from opposition parties were also present. Asked about the discussions, a Purvanchal-based MLA said conversations revolved around current circumstances and common issues, but did not deny that political developments and the situation of the Brahmin community were also discussed.
Also Read: UP CM makes Vande Mataram compulsory in all schools; 'no new Jinnahs should emerge'
It is also being said that political focus on other castes, particularly the BJP’s emphasis on OBC groups, came up for deliberation.
Political analysts say that with the 2027 Assembly elections in mind, the BJP has increased its focus on OBC and Dalit communities. At the same time, competition appears to be emerging within the party among forward castes, Brahmins, and Kshatriyas.
Both communities are influential in the state and, ahead of the elections, each seems keen to assert its strength.
Opposition flags caste politics
Earlier, during the monsoon session of the Assembly, Kshatriya legislators had held a dinner meeting at a hotel, which drew widespread attention and was linked to Kshatriya politics as a show of strength.
Now, during the winter session, the ‘community feast’ of Brahmin MLAs has once again heated up the political atmosphere in the state.
The dinner meeting has sharpened political debate, with the Opposition likely to project it as a sign of internal discord within the ruling party. The Samajwadi Party has already accused the BJP of practising caste-based politics.
Also Read: Yogi: Political Islam hurt Sanatana Dharma the most, but rarely discussed
The winter session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly concludes today (December 24), but the dinner meeting has sparked fresh political discussion in the state.
(This article was originally published in The Federal Desh)
