Number Theory: The caste calculus of NDA and INDIA in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state and sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha. With the Bahujan Samaj Party being reduced to just one MLA in the 2022 assembly elections, the main contest in the state is likely to be between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Samajwadi Party (SP)-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Caste has always been an important factor in Uttar Pradesh’s politics. The BJP is contesting 75 parliamentary constituencies (PCs) while the remaining five PCs are being contested by its allies. The SP is contesting 62 PCs, while its allies Congress and Trinamool Congress are contesting 17 and 1 respectively.