Ayodhya test for BJP strategy to pull Dalits away from SP-BSP alliance

The BJP has promised a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, but realises that it needs to build a broad social coalition to win the state.

It has been a little more than a year when Qaiyuum Ahmed was elected as the pradhan (village head) of Abbu Sarai. The village is 20 km away from the district headquarters in Ayodhya and its 400 households comprise mostly of Muslims and Pasis, a Hindu Dalit sect.

In 14 months, Qaiyum has realised the intricacies of playing a game of thrones as Abbu Sarai’s leader. He has been dragged to jail two times on corruption complaints, which Qaiyum says were fabricated by Pasis in the village.

Qaiyum, who is in his 50s, now puts up yearly accounts summary of