India, Dec. 29 -- In a tactical move, the Bharatiya Janata (BJP) Party leadership recently appointed veteran Kurmi leader Pankaj Chaudhary to head the party in Uttar Pradesh (UP). He became the 15th state president and the fourth Kurmi to lead the party in the state. The decision could prove to be critical in winning the support of the community, with Apna Dal (AD) at the forefront, in eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP).

It says something about the state of politics when a dominant national party appoints a Kurmi president to influence the second largest OBC bloc after Yadavs, whose loyalties lay with the Samajwadi Party (SP); the Kurmis account for 7-8 per cent of the state's population.

Kurmis, at least until now, have preferred a small party...