BJP, Cong units look get equations right for bypolls

Political parties are relying on getting the caste arithmetic right while selecting candidates for the upcoming bye-election for the Alwar parliamentary seat.
While both major parties - BJP and the Congress- will emphasise on the development credentials, it is the caste subtext that often decides the outcome in this Yadav dominated area.
The Congress has already fielded Dr Karan Singh Yadav from the seat while the BJP has yet not announced its candidate. However, the party is working to retain the seat by fielding a Yadav candidate, which it has anyways been doing in elections post 1977.
Nearly a fourth of the voters in Alwar belong to the Yadav community. Other communities with significant representation are Meo, Dalits and Brahmins.

The Yadav domination in Alwar politics can be realised from the fact that in 11 Lok Sabha elections held since 1977, candidates from the community have won election eight times.
In 1977, Janta Party fielded Ramjilal Yadav its candidates from Alwar who won by 1.72 lakh votes over Congress's Hari Prasad Sharma.
Even in Ajmer parliamentary constituency where caste is usually not a major factor, these equations are likely to play an important role. The ruling BJP was mulling fielding a Jat candidate, a party source said.