Blatant caste politics, which catapulted the Mulayam Singh Kanshi Ram combine to power, was bound to prove divisive and dangerous in Uttar Pradesh. But nobody expected the conflict to erupt so soon or within the walls of the assembly. On the very first day of the assembly session, pitched battles were fought between the predominantly upper caste BJP members and the Yadavs and Harijans of the SP-BSP. Two dozen MLAs were injured, half of them had to be later hospitalised with head injuries. The unprecedented incident stunned the ruling coalition as well as e BJP and added the most shameful chapter to India’s parliamentary history. Trouble was, however, expected on the opening day of the assembly session. But mainly because of the BJP’s desperation to get Kalyan Singh released to enable him to attend the house. The BJP members protesting against Kalyan Singh’s arrest in the Ayodhya demolition case. But as the assembly reconvened, they stormed the well of the house and more than 20 members climbed on to their desks near the podium. After watching the proceedings patiently for some time, SP-BSP MLAs also got agitated. As they started tearing the papers on the proceedings and breaking microphones, a scuffle with the BJP members started. Soon the two groups started hurling shoe sat one another and trading cast-related abuses. The legislators did not even listen to their leaders who left the scene in a huff probably to avoid the embarrassment of getting g hurt. Mulayam was away, attending a meeting with state officials. None of the 175 first-term MLAs was ready to listen to the saner voices of the second-rung leaders. Clearly, the volatile backdrop against which Mulayam came to power was exploding. The atmosphere was particularly vitiated by Kanshi Ram’s repeated fire-spitting statements against the upper castes. In fact, it was the simmering unrest amongst the upper caste MLAs in the Congress(I) and the Janata Dal, which had initially prompted the BJP to stake its claim to form the government. Besides, the upper caste-dominated bureaucracy became alarmed by rumours key positions. Mulayam’s announcement of 27 per cent reservation for the OBCs did not help matters much. Said a visibly shaken Mulayam: “Let us forget it as a bad dream. this will never happen again, I assure you.” But that is easier said than done. The outrage could have far-reaching consequences. After the legislators go back to their constituencies with their own tales, caste tensions in the state could become worse. Mulayam may have won a vote of confidence for his minority Government but the BJP too has got an issue to set its future agenda. Obviously, the last word on caste politics hs not been heard yet.