On November 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi made televised speeches at the launch of a new international airport in Jewar that falls in Gautam Buddha Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh. Three days later as I set out for a tour of western UP towards Agra/Mathura, it was a simple turn off the highway to reach Jewar, where crowds had been mobilized and ferried to the airport launch in the election bound state. (It must be noted that the airport inauguration was a government event but was conducted like a political rally, and should have raised questions about propriety).  

But to move on, we were searching for a particular village and had to stop and ask for directions through the unmarked rural roads. Rakesh Sharma was sitting on the turn next to a small local store. He was very helpful with detailed directions off a main road because he worked in local transport, lived in a nearby village and knew the area well. This is where they (BJP) got people to go to for the inaugural speeches, he cribbed, even as he went on to use colorful invective against the party and declared that no one in his village, Sabota, would vote for them. Why, I ask? Economic destruction and growing poverty and making fools out of some of us, was the response. More colourful abuse followed and another bystander, a Jat farmer joined in. 

After a few twists and turns we arrived at Nangla Hukum Singh village, where we had established contact with the Pradhan, Ashish Chowdhary, a Jat farmer. A crowd gathered and was clearly angry at the possibility of displacement due to the new airport. But there were a few political lessons learnt at this halt in this village where the largest caste blocs were Jats and Jatav’s (the dominant Dalit sub-caste in UP to which BSP chief Mayawati also belongs). The Jats had in the past few elections since 2014 voted BJP but were currently inclined to vote for RLD, led by Jayant Chowdhary, their caste brethren, who has tied up with the Samajwadi Party led by Akhilesh Yadav, seen as the main political force challenging the BJP in the state. But it may be noted that this area has traditionally been a BSP stronghold in state elections but the BJP in 2017 did win the assembly seat that covers the village. 

The Jat farmers in the village were loud and boisterous about expressing their opinion. The most prosperous looking individual among the crowd that gathered however claimed to be a district vice president of the BJP. Dharmendra Chaudhary and another individual seated next to him said that farmers are annoyed but by the time the candidates were announced, the BJP would have reassured the villagers and they would stick with the party of Yogiji and Modiji. However, an argument followed and when I asked the others, about 15, in the crowd, the Jat farmers said they were considering voting for the RLD. But as the Pradhan pointed out “the setting is not yet done” as we don’t know the candidates yet and caste and “baradari” (clan) are also factors in voting decisions. So, it’s early days he said and keep calling and we will tell you what is happening. 

But as I stood up to leave and head towards the car, I was surrounded by other villagers who had remained silent during the interaction organized by the Pradhan. They were Jatav Dalits and said they had followed me to let me know they will be voting for the BSP and Mayawati. One of them whispered in my ear that the BJP representative Dharmendra Chaudhary is a local bully and is known to register cases against villagers who fall out with him. As a representative of the ruling party and a prosperous Jat farmer he has influence in the police station, I am told. The Dalits mostly work as farm labour. “We don’t speak there but are telling you here that we are all united in voting for the BSP,” said the man leading the crowd that had surrounded me near the car. 

It’s early days yet, but in effect in one Uttar Pradesh village not far from the national capital, I encountered voters who were supporting three parties—BJP, RLD and BSP. The little travel stop was also a reminder about caste hierarchies in rural areas. But there are many miles to go before we get a grip on the upcoming and crucial state election.