Kurmis, equal in strength to the Yadavs, constitute the core of the backward castes in the state. They have been envious of the Yadavs, who have been far more active politically and forward looking than the Kurmis. Traditionally, there has been a rivalry between the two. Kurmis, or Kunbis as they are called, have been traditional peasants, and the Yadavs have been grazing their cattle, quite often in Kurmi-owned fields. Even when they shared the same occupation, a certain chasm remained between them.
However, the peasant movement, and its later incarnations like the Lok Dal, brought them together. They were together again with in the Janata Dal. But since 1991, by and large with the rise of Mulayam Singh Yadav as a separate leader outside the fold of the JD, the two castes parted ways
