JALANDHAR: Charanjit Singh Channi will make history by becoming the first Dalit chief minister of Punjab, but the political impact of his appointment may not be linear as the Dalits in Punjab have remained politically divided on caste lines even as they constitute almost one-third of the population.
The narrative of having a Dalit CM in Punjab was started by the BJP in April this year on the occasion of the Ambedkar Jayanti even though the party does not have a strong base among them as yet and the Congress has now walked on the path. The decision may blunt the BJP’s attempt to play the Dalit card.
It may also make the job tougher for the Shiromani Akali Dal-BSP alliance as the latter remains a party largely of one caste – Adi-dharmi/Ravidassia community and Channi belongs to the same caste.
However, this same factor can complicate the situation for Congress. The two largest Scheduled Caste communities, Mazhabi Sikh/Valmiki and Ravidassia/Adi-dharmi have been competing with each other in political space. For instance, despite attempts by BSP founder Kanshi Ram to unite them under one single Dalit identity, he could not make the BSP a party of all Dalits, and Mazhabi Sikhs/Valmikis have largely stayed away from it. While Channi can be a positive factor in Ravidassia/ Adidharmi community, at the same time this can lead to competitive voices among Mazhabi Sikhs, who are the biggest community among the Scheduled Castes in Punjab, and the opposition parties can also attempt to work on them.
Valmikis, who are largely urban-based and have a Hindu identity, have largely remained with the Congress while Akali Dal has managed to make some inroads among them. Mazhabi Sikhs are largely rural-based and they have been aligned with Akali Dal and Congress.
At the same time, how the Jat Sikhs, who remain the single largest caste/community as their population is estimated to be around 25% even as BJP insists they are around 18%, view the elevation of a Dalit leader as the CM would also be a factor. They along with other Sikhs played a very significant role for Congress in the 2017 assembly and 2019 parliamentary elections and even the recent PEW survey confirmed the latter part.
How the proposition of removing the Dalit CM, after winning the 2022 assembly election, would work also remains unpredictable.
