Controversial Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani is apparently dumbstruck by the results of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The leader, who is known for indulging in rage politics, was baffled that despite all his sermons and the efforts by other parties, Dalits voted for the BJP in large numbers.
“I can’t understand. Dalits had no reason to vote for BJP this time,” Mevani was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. “They didn’t get jobs, there is a terrible agrarian crisis, the price hike is there…The victory is baffling.”
Mevani said that he was under the impression that these issues would “create a lot of trouble for Modi”, but “the culture of Hindutva has prevailed”. He blamed Narendra Modi’s reelection as Prime Minister on “collective insanity” and maintained that “what Modi has done in the last five years was good enough to wipe him out”. “I have no option but to accept it (the result) even when I am not convinced at all,” he added in disbelief.
Kanhaiya Kumar’s huge defeat in Begusarai against Giriraj Singh appears to have had the most impact on him. “I can’t understand how come that happened. He was the one in whose favour there was a clear wave,” said Mevani. “And people were mad after him…His defeat is very unfortunate.” Going forward, his focus would be on his Assembly constituency, Vadgam, and “Dalit-Muslim unity and a nationwide campaign on public health, education and unemployment.”
Jignesh Mevani has been a virulent critic of Narendra Modi. In his attempt to dethrone the Prime Minister, he has peddled fake news about reservations, was caught on camera trying to stoke caste conflict and spoken about Narendra Modi in an extremely disdainful manner. On hindsight, it’s quite understandable why people have rejected his brand of hateful politics.
Mevani also appears to be unable to grasp the fact Kanhaiya Kumar does not quite have an exalted reputation outside the corridors of JNU. Therefore, his defeat should have surprised absolutely no one. That he is shocked by the result only reveals the extent to which he is out of touch with the mood of the people.
It also appears he will spend a significant amount of his resources in the future in trying to forge the mythical Dalit-Muslim unity. It’s quite clear that, on the ground, Dalits have to bear the brunt of Islamic intolerance. Therefore, such an alliance is doomed from the very outset. Even in Maharashtra, despite an alliance between Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and AIMIM, it appears that Muslims voted for the Congress party en masse and not the Dalit leader’s candidates.
Thus, it appears, Mevani spends an exorbitant amount of time chasing unicorns and is left perplexed at the end of the day when his efforts don’t yield any results.
