Lucknow, Aug. 30 -- Caste alignments within the ruling BJP are beginning to sharpen with an eye on the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls as ministers and MLAs increasingly seek to consolidate their base among their own communities, often through parallel shows of strength. After nearly 40 BJP law-makers recently gathered in Lucknow, in what was seen as a demonstration of caste-backed solidarity, a senior Brahmin minister, who has been feeling "powerless" within the government and complaining that bureaucrats of his departments are drawing current from elsewhere rather than him, reached out to his community on Friday. The minister held a closed-door meeting with representatives of the Akhil Bharatiya Brahmin Mahasabha in a government guesthouse near the old Annexe, where issues concerning the community were raised. Over 60 delegates from various regions across the state reportedly voiced concerns over lack of adequate representation and neglect in governance and their harassment due to false cases under the SC-ST Act. The delegates were led by the organisation's national president KC Pandey. The minister felicitated all the delegates by presenting them a shawl and mementos in the form of a statue of Lord Parashuram. "The minister assured us of his support, welcoming us with shawls and mementoes in a symbolic gesture of respect," said Dheeraj Pandey, district president, Sitapur. "The way the minister reached out to and welcomed us truly touched us. We will extend full support to him," he added. "If smaller caste groups can rally around their leaders and gain visibility, why can't Brahmins, who constitute nearly 18% of UP's population, assert themselves in the political space?" questioned Akarsh Tiwari, another participant in the meeting. In mid-August, when the UP Assembly was in session, nearly 40 Kshatriya MLAs and MLCs held a closed-door conclave in Lucknow under the "Kutumb Parivar" banner, distributing portraits of Maharana Pratap and tridents as a show of Thakur unity. These lawmakers were seen throwing their weight around chief minister Yogi Adiyanath. Kurmi leaders have gathered under the "Sardar Patel Vaicharik Manch," while Lodh legislators, led by minister Dharmpal Singh, organised a separate convention to assert community presence. These events, it is said, indicate a broader pattern. With the UP assembly elections due in 2027, caste-based groups within BJP (and allied parties) are mobilising to assert community identity, vie for representation, or send a collective signal to the leadership. "Such moves, whether by ministers or MLAs, are part of the jostling for relevance or for strengthening their position within the party/government often with an eye on a bigger role in future," said a senior BJP leader requesting anonymity....