evidence: Brahmins, who once dominated politics in the Hindi heartland, have not only lost their political clout, but also their leadership role — yet they remain a prized vote base. While all the four major political parties in India’s largest state, Uttar Pradesh, vie for their votes in every election, none have been able to develop Brahmin leadership in the changed political sociology of the state. [...] As backward politics took centre-stage, Brahmins were impacted the most. The state has had 13 chief ministers (CMs) since then, 11 were backwards or Dalits, two were Rajputs, and one from the Vaishya/Bania community. [...] The fact remains that the Brahmins hold a secondary position even in the BJP, after the death of their tallest leader, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The party has also dropped its earlier policy of striking a fine balance between the backwards and the Brahmins in the government and the party organisation — as was done in the 1990s simultaneously projecting Kalyan Singh and Kalraj Mishra.