Mahan Dal (
translation
Translation is the communication of the semantics, meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The English la ...
: ''Great Party'') is an Indian political party founded by Keshav Dev Maurya based in
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
, India.
Politics
Mahan Dal was launched in 2008 by Keshav Dev Maurya and it is perceived to have an impact in Rohilkhand and Western UP regions. Mahan Dal claims to have the support of a range of Other Backward Classes such as
Mauryas
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary source ...
,
Shakyas
Shakya ( Pāḷi: ; Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan clan of the northeastern region of South Asia, whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The Shakyas were organised into a (an aristocratic oligarchic republic), also known as ...
,
Kushwaha
Kushwaha (sometimes Kushvaha), is a community of the Indo-Gangetic Plain that has traditionally been involved in agriculture, including beekeeping. The term has been used to represent different sub-castes of the Kachhis, Kachhvahas, Koeris ...
s, Sainis and Kambojs. However, it has failed to make electoral inroads so far.
IN 2022 assembly elections for Uttar Pradesh, Mahan Dal is in alliance with Samajwadi Party. SP president Akhilesh Yadav was the chief guest at the Mahan Dal's workers' convention held at the Samajwadi Party office in August 2021. Party State President for U.P., Mr
Shiv Kumar Yadav has announced that Mahan Dal will fight on 8 seats in the upcoming assembly elections in the alliance of Samajwadi Party and all candidates of Mahan Dal will fight on symbol of
Samajwadi Party
The Samajwadi Party ( SP; ) is a Socialism, socialist political party in India. It was founded on 4 October 1992 by former Janata Dal politician Mulayam Singh Yadav and is headquartered in New Delhi. It is the third-largest political party in ...
.
The Congress had contested the 2012 assembly election as well as 2014 Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the Mahan Dal. Ahead of the 2017 assembly elections, the SP and the Congress had held talks with Maurya for an alliance. He was even called to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office in New Delhi to hold talks with Rahul Gandhi. The alliance, however, could not materialise after the Congress strategist told Maurya to merge his party into the Congress. Maurya turned down the proposal stating that he was ready to discuss seat-sharing but not merger.
Elections
2014 Loksabha election
Mahan Dal had joined the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
-led
United Progressive Alliance
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA; Hindi: Saṁyukta Pragatiśīl Gaṭhabandhan) was a Political group, political alliance in India led by the Indian National Congress. It was formed after the 2004 Indian general election, 2004 general ele ...
. In western Uttar Pradesh, Mahan Dal contested on three
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...
constituencies,
Badaun,
Nagina and
Etah while
Rashtriya Lok Dal
Rashtriya Lok Dal ( RLD; ) is an Indian Regionalism (politics), regional political party in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. It was founded by Chaudhary Ajit Singh, son of the former prime minister of India, Chaudhary Charan Singh in 1996 as a brea ...
contested in eight constituencies as per an arrangement with INC.
Mahan Dal claimed that the
OBC voters of western
UP specially Shakyas, Mauryas and Kushwahas would support them in the election but Mahan Dal candidates lost on all three allocated seats.
2019 general election
The Congress leader said the party will follow the type of politics in which everyone is represented equally. Congress will fight with ‘full might’ as party allies with Mahan Dal said by Priyanka Gandhi.
[ ''UP: Priyanka Gandhi says Congress will fight with ‘full might’ as party allies with Mahan Dal'']
References
External links
Official websiteMahan Dal on Facebook
{{United Progressive Alliance , state=collapsed
Former member parties of the United Progressive Alliance
Member parties of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance
Political parties in Uttar Pradesh
Political parties with year of establishment missing