With elections round the corner, the death anniversary of Dalit ideologue Kanshi Ram on October 9 is turning into a massive event, as all major political parties are launching programmes to connect withthe community on this day.
The BJP will send out nearly 40,300 Dalit NaMo Mitras –100 in each of the 403 Assembly segments of Uttar Pradesh — to enlist community support for six mega Dalit meets that the ruling party has planned across the state this month.
These six outreach campaigns are part of BJP’s plans to up its Dalit-connect in a state and timed to counter a similar strategy by the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP), both of whom are eyeing BSP’s Dalit voters.
Since 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Dalit voters had started veering towards the BJP.
Barring a minor blip when community backed the Congress-supported SP candidate in the recent Ghosi by poll, the Dalit support has continued for the BJP.
The BSP had not contested the by poll.
The BJP, which is in the middle of a “basti sampark (Dalit localities-connect)” campaign, is looking at these six meetings to ensure that the Dalit vote bank, stays true to BJP.
BJP’s SC/ST wing chief Ram Chandra Kannaujia confirmed that NaMo Mitras — influential or intellectuals from among community — have been tasked with mobilising maximum community support.
“We have approached Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for these six Dalit meets and depending on his availability, we will announce the dates of these meets,” he said.
The Congress proposes to start a ‘Dalit Gaurav Samvad’ from October 9, while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav after unveiling a statue of Kanshi Ram in Rae Bareli in April, is now preparing a fresh round of community connect.
In these meets, the party is focused on ensuring maximum representation from most of Dalit subcastes, including Jatavs, the subcaste BSP chief Mayawati hails from.
The BSP will also mobilise party supporters for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by organising a series of programmes and workers’ conferences across the state on October 9.
BSP chief Mayawati will pay tribute to Kanshi Ram in a programme organised at her residence in Lucknow.
Party workers from Lucknow and neighbouring districts will assemble at the Kanshi Ram memorial to pay tribute to the leader.
A separate programme will be organised at Kanshi Ram Prerna Kendra in Noida.
BSP leader Akhilesh Ambedkar said the party will organize conferences in all districts.
The BSP has already organised meetings in all the 403 Assembly segments and 75 districts to mobilise workers.
The ideals of the party founder and his call for “political empowerment of the deprived community” will be highlighted in the conferences, he added.
Of the 17 reserved seats among the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, the SP had won 10 of them in 2009 while the Congress, the BJP and the BSP had to be content with two seats each while Rashtriya Lok Dal won one.
In 2014, the BJP won all 17 of these and five years later in 2019, it maintained its hold in reserved seats by winning 15 (along with its ally Apna Dal) , with BSP winning two.
Now, with thr 2024 Lok Sabha polls nearing, the BJP is looking at these meets as a strategic exercise to showcase how much has been done for Dalits by the double engine BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh.
“It is true that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath so much has been done for the community and we surely intend to tell all this to the community,” said BJP’s Dalit MP Brij Lal.
Yogi’s Dalit ministers — Baby Rani Maurya and social welfare minister Asim Arun — are at the forefront of this campaign.
They hail from the same Jatav community as Mayawati’s make them quite useful in marketing the BJP’s efforts for the community.
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