BHOPAL: Concerned over the recent caste violence in the Gwalior-Chambal region and the possibility of it marring the party’s Assembly poll prospects, the ruling BJP is planning an army of basti pramukhs from among the Scheduled Castes (SCs) to bond with the Dalit population in all 51 districts of Madhya Pradesh. The SCs form around 15-18 per cent of MP’s electorate.
The basti pramukhs, chosen from among the BJP’s primary members, will be professionals like doctors, engineers, teachers and even retired government servants.BJP sources said retired government servants would be given priority as basti pramukhs as they are well versed with government policies and can be trained more easily. The brainchild of BJP’s SC cell, the plan will be given a final shape soon.
“Once the list of basti pramukhs is finalised up to the district and mandal level, workshops and conclaves will be conducted by the party’s SC cell to train them in popularising government policies and schemes meant for the welfare of SCs and other weaker sections,” said MP BJP spokesperson Rajnish Agrawal.
The pramukhs would also be required to counter the opposition parties’ alleged bid to project the BJP as anti-Dalit.
“The BJP’s image among the SCs, particularly the Jatavs was significantly dented following the caste violence on April 2 in Bhind, Gwalior and Morena districts, which claimed six Dalit lives. There is an urgent need to counter the propaganda of the BSP and the Congress about the BJP being anti-Dalit,” said a BJP leader.
Sources said this initiative is on the lines of the BJP’s model, where a panna pramukh manages cluster of families.On Friday, the party’s national general secretary (organisation) Ramlal while addressing party workers in Bhopal, had underscored the necessity of establishing a strong bond with voters on the booth level ahead of the polls slated in November-December.