Mukesh Sahani launches reservation pledge drive, accuses Sanjay Nishad of 'dynastic politics'

Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh: Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) president Mukesh Sahani on Saturday launched an oath-based campaign demanding reservation for the Nishad (Mallah) community and publicly accused Uttar Pradesh minister and Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad of being "trapped in dynastic politics" and running a personal outfit after joining government, according to Times of India reporting.

Mobilisation and method

Sahani, who has been conducting the drive under the banner of the Aarakshan Sankalp Yatra, administered an oath to members of the Nishad community in Sonbhadra, asking participants to place their hands in Ganga water while pledging not to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) until reservation is granted to their community. He said the campaign will continue across villages until 30 November and aims to collect pledges from 50 lakh people.

• Campaign name: Nishad Reservation Jan Sankalp Abhiyan
• Duration: Ongoing for five and a half months, to continue till 30 November
• Target pledgeers: 50 lakh

Sahani, a former Bihar minister who handled animal husbandry and fisheries development portfolios, said the drive seeks to organise and mobilise members of the Nishad-Mallah community and to create awareness about their demand for reservation. He added that the party would widely publicise its programmes on social media to build pressure on both the government and opposition parties, Times of India reported.

Accusation against Sanjay Nishad and electoral warning

Targeting Sanjay Nishad, Sahani alleged that despite being part of government for five years the Nishad Party chief had failed to secure reservation for his own community. He warned that Nishad voters would withhold support from the BJP in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls if the reservation demand remained unmet, according to the same report.

"Sanjay Nishad has got trapped in dynastic politics and, after joining the government, is running his own shop," Sahani said, as reported by Times of India.

The VIP has political influence among the Nishad-Mallah community, notably in Bihar, and Sahani has previously held ministerial office in the Bihar government. The present campaign appears focused on Uttar Pradesh, where the Nishad community forms a recognised electoral segment.

Context and possible implications

Reservation for specific communities has long been a sensitive and consequential political demand in several states. Sahani's public mobilisation, involving symbolic oaths with Ganga water and a high numerical pledge target, is designed to both consolidate community sentiment and apply pressure on political stakeholders.

Two key consequences could follow if the campaign gathers momentum:

• It may complicate vote arithmetic for the BJP in pockets where the Nishad community is substantial, particularly if the pledge drive translates into electoral non-cooperation in 2027.
• It could create strains between smaller regional leaders and allied partners if community-level demands are perceived as unmet while those leaders hold ministerial office.

At the same time, the impact will depend on whether Sahani's drive sustains organisational intensity across the stated timeline and whether rival leaders — including Sanjay Nishad and the Nishad Party — respond with counter-mobilisation or policy assurances.

What is confirmed

The details in this report — Sahani's statements, the Aarakshan Sankalp Yatra, the oath ceremony using Ganga water, the campaign timetable to 30 November, the 50 lakh pledge target, and his past ministerial posts — are taken from the Times of India account. There is no independent confirmation in that report of any government decision on reservation for the Nishad community or of how Sanjay Nishad intends to respond.

Further developments will hinge on responses from the Nishad Party and the state government, and on whether the campaign results in formal demands or legal petitions seeking reservation. The issue of community-specific reservation remains subject to constitutional procedures and state and central government policymaking.