Chandrashekhar Azad leans on new symbolism to change Dalit-Bahujan equation

By replacing Buddha with Guru Ravidas as top icon while retaining Ambedkar, he seeks to draw the Hindu Dalit into his fold even as he latches on to the Buddhist

Chandrashekhar Azad, the maverick founder of the Bhim Sena, made his political ambitions clear when he set up the Azad Samaj Party less than a week ago. But will the man who has been wending his way gradually into the electoral powerplay be able to disrupt Dalit-Bahujan politics? What kind of symbolism is he likely to evolve in order to extend his sway over the Dalits and other communities?

For starters, it appears that he will emerge as a key adversary of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)'s Mayawati. Secondly, his entry into electoral politics seems designed to attract the Dalit