LUCKNOW, May 24 -- Only a few days after the Modi government announced its decision to hold caste enumeration in the country, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has begun weaving a new campaign around the revered 18th-century queen of Indore Ahilyabai Holkar who not only came from an Other Backward Class (OBC) but is also credited with revival of Sanatan Dharma while fighting against the Mughal invaders.

The move is being seen as a conscious bid to consolidate its hold on key OBC voters while also reaching out to women voters by projecting her as an embodiment of 'Nari Shakti' (women power). This is also seen as a strategic step to resonate with communities that hold Ahilyabai in high esteem, particularly in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh a...