NEW DELHI: People from economically weaker sections (EWS) such as auto rickshaw drivers, vendors, small groups or caste may get prominence in the new team of office bearers in the local unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi.
BJP vice president Shyam Jaju, also the incharge of the unit, said the leadership had planned to give ‘adequate’ representation to people belonging to EWS category, marginalised groups and castes, in the state team to be finalised soon.
He said because of their small presence, they are not given their dues generally and ignored by political outfits.
“You will see more leaders from those specific groups and castes in the new team. The idea is to include them into mainstream politics. The party has several dedicated ‘cells’ and ‘wings’ but that hasn’t helped in making a leadership. This time, we want to induct more people from Rehri-patri or mazdoor (workers) unions and small ethnic groups etc,” said Jaju.
The party has already launched a feedback gathering exercise to pick leaders for posts at block, district, and state level teams. The two observers — national general secretary Arun Singh and president of party’s women wing Vijaya Rahatkar — are overseeing the formation of the new teams.Delhi BJP chief Adesh Kumar said all teams might be announced by the end of this month.
The BJP leaders believed that induction of leaders from these ‘untapped’ groups would help the party to make inroads into the ‘territory’, which is generally considered as the electoral base of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The BJP will be facing a herculean task to defeat anti-incumbancy in 2022 municipal elections.
The party has been in power in Municipal Corporations since 2007. Jaju further said that a three-member committee and working group of 18 people would be formed to supervise the functioning of each corporation. Each team will comprise of a senior Delhi BJP leader including mayor, leader of house, and standing committee chairman of the respective corporation.