In Dalit outreach, BJP to tap 300 SC intellectuals in every UP district
In this way, the BJP aims to reach out to nearly 22,500 educated and influential people within the Dalit community—a move that could potentially help the saffron outfit counter the opposition's Pichhda, Dalit, Alpasankhyak (PDA) narrative, which is said to have dented the party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Sources said the party think tank roped in its SC Morcha to carry out the drive while aiming to augment its grassroots machinery through the deployment of more Dalit functionaries at the booth, sector and mandal levels.
UP BJP SC Morcha chief Ram Chandra Kannaujia said teams comprising at least 25 Dalit functionaries have been constituted for the purpose.
"Each team would reach out to five people from the
SC intellectuals
and apprise them of the initiatives taken by the party for the welfare of the Dalits in the last 10 years," he said. Kannaujia said it will be a comprehensive drive aimed at strengthening the party's organisational network while neutralising the opposition's campaign vis-à-vis Dalits.
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Sources said the BJP plans to convince the influential class to help the party consolidate the poorer sections from Dalit, which, they say, tend to get swayed by the opposition.
The development draws a stark contrast with the RSS's Hindutva plank. Recently RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat gave a clarion call of "ek mandir, ek kuan, ek shamshaan" (one temple, one well, one cremation ground), which underscored the Sangh's assertive bid to blur caste lines within the Hindu community.
The BJP's strategy of balancing its Dalit-specific outreach campaign with its core
Hindutva ideology
, experts said, highlights its nuanced approach.
By tapping into the Dalit intellectuals, the party seeks to secure support from this crucial social group while maintaining the broader appeal of Hindutva that has been central to its identity since the peak of the Ram Temple movement of the 1990s. This dual approach allows the BJP to engage with the Dalit communities strategically—as seen in its SC-focused campaigns—while continuing to leverage its Hindutva rhetoric to strengthen its base, especially among upper-caste Hindus.
The blend of these two approaches is seen to consolidate a wide-ranging coalition of voters— something which has proved successful for the party since 2014 when the party rose like a political behemoth under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi. Analysts say that the BJP, nevertheless, will face the challenge of balancing these competing efforts without alienating any caste group.
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