India, Aug. 12 -- In the early 1980s, the tallest Brahmin leader of northern India and the Congress, Kamalapati Tripathi, had suggested that the party leadership appoint a Dalit chief minister (CM)in Uttar Pradesh to stop the Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti (DS4) from mobilising Dalits. DS4 was Kanshi Ram's creation, which later grew into the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Tripathi's fears proved true as the BSP weaned Dalits away from the Congress that was, till then, ruling the country with the support of a coalition of Dalits, Brahmins and Muslims.

The Congress, despite the loss of Dalit votes, remained the first choice of Brahmins until Muslims left the party after the shilanyas (foundation laying) of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in 19...