NEW DELHI: With less than six months left for the Uttar Pradesh elections, BJP has decided to knock on all doors, especially those of Dalits. To counter negative publicity following a series of violent incidents against the community, party MPs, MLA hopefuls and workers would soon start their campaign for distributing handbills highlighting Modi government’s work for dalits, and providing “facts” about these incidents.
With Dalits constituting nearly 20 per cent of UP’s population, their consolidation because of the recent incidents has the party worried. BJP is looking at a two-pronged strategy to deal with this: to reach out to the Dalit community, and ironically, by looking at other castes, including non-Yadav OBCs, Brahmins and Thakurs to get it through, an experiment effectively tried by former BJP CM Kalyan Singh.
But the Dalit anger poses a larger problem for the saffron family. BJP and RSS sources said that the issue will be discussed during the coordination meeting Samanway Baithak next month. “As the situation is turning out in Uttar Pradesh, there would be a Dalit-Muslim consolidation,” a BJP MP said, hinting that the beneficiary could be Mayawati.
BJP workers and MPs will visit all the 403 Assembly constituencies, even though there were merely 89 reserved seats. This was decided during the recent meeting of the all Dalit MPs, including ministers and BJP’s SC morcha functionaries. BJP has 40 Dalit MPs who will be tasked to move across the state.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stature and acceptance was increasing among all the communities. Distressed by this, other parties turned some incidents into political events. We are printing handbills and pamphlets and will go to people to expose them,” BJP’s SC Morcha chief Dushyant Kumar Gautam said.
Modi’s statement “shoot me if you want, but don’t target Dalits” and RSS’ number two Bhaiyaji Joshi denouncing attacks by cow vigilantes to disturb social harmony were steps in this direction.
BJP is also readying if Dalits don’t vote for it. A BJP strategician explained the situation: “Any Dalit polarisation will help BJP, as the other castes wary of such a situation will side with us.”
By making Keshav Prasad Maurya as state president, BJP has tried to address this group. Among these non-Yadav OBCs are Kurmis, Lodhs, Gujjars, Gosains, Kushwahas, Mauryas, Nishads and Mallahs. BJP has been hardselling its schemes to these castes, and even giving prominence to leaders from these castes to retain their support. If Dalits and Muslims don’t vote for BJP, it will have to focus on the other 65 per cent, which comprises OBCs and upper castes (Yadavs 8.5 per cent, Brahmins 10 per cent, Thakurs 8.5 per cent). Yadavs and Muslims voted for SP in the last elections, while Brahmins are known to chose the strongest political grouping.