Lucknow, Nov. 10: Buoyed by the success of Independents it backed in Uttar Pradesh’s local body polls, the BSP has launched a two-day programme to woo Brahmins in the state. Many of these winners were from the upper castes, reports our special correspondent.

Party chief Mayavati will inaugurate Brahman Bhaichara, the event being organised in the state capital over the weekend by BSP Rajya Sabha member S.C. Mishra.

The show is part of a larger strategy to court upper-castes ahead of the Assembly elections early next year. With Punjab and Uttaranchal also headed for polls around the same time, Mayavati has coined a new slogan for party leaders on the campaign trail.

“Brahman ka yeh mela hai, na ab hum log akela hai (Here’s an assembly of Brahmins, we are no longer alone).” The BSP’s divisive mantra has been given a quiet burial. “Tilak, taraju aur talwar, inko maro juta char. (Beat them with shoes).” Tilak signifies Brahmins (priests), taraju Kayasthas (traders) and talwar Rajputs (warriors).

Many wonder if the new gamble will work. Rival dalit outfits, like Ramvilas Paswan’s LJP, have slammed the BSP for its new upper-caste tilt, saying Mayavati’s party had now become a “Bahujan Brahman Samaj”.

Even Brahmin icons haven’t been spared. In May, Uttar Pradesh entertainment minister Harishanker Tiwari organised a Brahmin rally on the occasion of Parshuram Jayanti. Parshuram, a Hindu mythological character, is known to embody Brahmin power.

Tiwari claims he “is still a friend” of chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, but there has been speculation he could cross over to the BSP. The show was believed to be a platform where he could attract Mayavati’s attention.

The BSP’s pro-Brahmin approach has caused some confusion among its loyal dalit voters. But Mayavati had declared two months back in Lucknow that the leadership of the party would never shift from dalits, and that her political heir would be from the caste.