Political Participation of Dalits in Punjab of the Twenty-first Century

This article focuses on pattern and direction with which Dalit politics moves in Punjab. An attempt is made to understand political participation as well as voting behaviour of Dalits in Punjab, which is quite different when compared with political behaviour of Dalits in the rest of India. In this study, political participation and political gains of Dalits in Punjab are studied under three phases as well as economic and social factors that have reshaped and redefined the role of Dalits in Punjab politics. Ever since Punjab's first Assembly election held in 1951 till the 13 Punjab state Assembly election held in 2017, there is no major change in the pattern of Dalit leadership as there is no Dalit leader who commands the whole of Dalit strata in Punjab. On the basis of historical and analytical studies, this article argues that possibilities are quite remote for the emergence of strong leadership having a support of entire Dalit community in Punjab in the upcoming state Assembly elections of 2022.