Mahan Dal (

translation Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), 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 ...

: ''Great Party'') is an Indian political party founded by Keshav Dev Maurya based in

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

, 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, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...

Shakyas Shakya (Pāḷi: ; sa, शाक्य, translit=Śākya) was an ancient eastern sub-Himalayan ethnicity and clan of north-eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The Shakyas were organise ...

Kushwaha Kushwaha (sometimes, Kushvaha) is a community of the Indo-Gangetic Plain which has traditionally been involved in agriculture (including beekeeping). The term has been used to represent different subcastes, being those of the Kachhis, Koer ...

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; translation: ''Socialist Party'', founded 4 October 1992) is a Socialism, socialist political party in India, headquartered in New Delhi but mainly based in Uttar Pradesh, with significant presence in other states as w ...

. 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 but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...

-led

United Progressive Alliance United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is a centre-left political alliance of predominantly left-leaning political parties in India. It was formed after the 2004 general election with support from left-leaning political parties when no single party ...

. In western Uttar Pradesh, Mahan Dal contested on three

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past ...

constituencies,

Badaun Budaun is commonly pronounced Badayun is a city and a seat of Budaun district, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located near the Ganges river in the centre of Western Uttar Pradesh. Budaun was the capital of Delhi Sultanate for four years from 1210 ...

Nagina Nagina is a town and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. History Nagina is the word for ''"Jewel"'' (See Negin), it was named by Syed's who received this place as jagir by the Mughals. During the British ...

and

Etah Etah is a municipality city which is also the headquarters of Etah District of the Uttar Pradesh state in India.Etah district is a part of the Aligarh Division and is located at the midpoint of the Delhi-Kanpur Highway(NH 91) Known as G.T Road ...

while

Rashtriya Lok Dal Rashtriya Lok Dal (abbreviated as RLD) (translation: National People's Party) is a political party in India founded by Chaudhary Ajit Singh. He was carrying on the political legacy of his father and former Prime Minister of India, Chaudhary Ch ...

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 Member parties of the United Progressive Alliance Political parties in Uttar Pradesh Political parties with year of establishment missing