BJP activates Dalit outreach strategy for 2027 UP polls
State general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh is spearheading the party's outreach strategy, engaging directly with Dalit leaders, office-bearers and workers through a series of district-level dialogues titled 'Anusoochit Jaati Samvad' (Dialogue with SC community).
Since May, Singh has travelled to over 10 districts, including Ayodhya, Bulandshahr, Unnao, Chitrakoot, Lalitpur, Jhansi, Agra, Azamgarh, Gorakhpur and Kushinagar, holding meetings that are being positioned as more than routine political events.
'All party leaders of the SC cell, office-bearers and grassroots workers are attending these sessions. They are briefed about various schemes and steps taken by the BJP government for the uplift of the Scheduled Caste community,' a senior BJP leader said.
Participants are also being trained to mobilise support at the local level and inform community members about government initiatives, he added.
The Samajwadi Party and Congress have come under frequent criticism during these meetings. At a gathering in Unnao on May 15, Singh urged participants to recall how Congress had 'conspired to defeat Babasaheb Ambedkar' in parliamentary elections.
Dr B R Ambedkar had lost both his Lok Sabha elections, first in 1952 from Bombay North-Central, and again in a 1954 bypoll from Bhandara in Vidarbha.
'Highlight the difference in approach between the BJP and the opposition. While the BJP promotes respect and welfare of Scheduled Castes, the opposition lacks a development agenda and only spreads misinformation,' Singh has said at multiple events.
The Scheduled Caste population forms around 21% of Uttar Pradesh's electorate, with Jatavs (11.7%), Pasis (3.3%), Valmiks (3.15 %), Gonds, Dhanuks, Khatiks (1.2%) and others (1.6%).
Notably, of U.P's 80 Lok Sabha seats, 17 are reserved for Scheduled Castes. In the 2024 general elections, the BJP's performance saw a decline, winning 33 seats compared to 62 in 2019.
Party insiders attribute the fall in numbers to the shift of SC and OBC voters towards the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) alliance led by the Samajwadi Party, which secured 37 seats.
Congress won seven seats, while BJP allies Rashtriya Lok Dal and Apna Dal (Soneylal) won two and one seat, respectively. Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) also clinched one seat.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
24 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Political slugfest erupts between Congress and BJP over Par Tapi Narmada River-Link project
The controversy over the Par Tapi Narmada River-Link project has resurfaced in South Gujarat's tribal-dominated districts even as a fresh political tussle has broken out between the BJP and the Congress. Meanwhile, the Par Tapi Narmada Link Project Hatao Sangharsh Samithi has decided to hold a public rally and meeting in Valsad on August 14, with similar meetings to follow in Tapi and Dangs districts. On Sunday, Gujarat BJP president and Union Minister CR Paatil while participating in a public event in Navsari had clarified that the project has been shelved for now. Replying to a question regarding the project status, Paatil said, 'The Par Tapi Narmada River-Link project has been postponed'. Targeting the Opposition, the Union minister said: 'The Congress leaders had no other issues, so they took up this (project) and misguided innocent tribal people. I wanted to assure the tribal communities that the government will never carry out any project which is against them… it is the instruction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.' Recently, the project was also discussed in the Parliament during which it was claimed that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the project has been completed. Replying to a question, related to the project, in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State (MoS) for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Chaudhary informed that the Central Government has formulated the National Perspective Plan (NPP) for the Inter-Linking of Rivers (ILR) programme to facilitate the transfer of water from surplus to deficit basins and regions. The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) will be responsible for implementing the ILR projects under the NPP framework. A total of 30 ILR projects have been identified, encompassing two major components: the Himalayan Component with 14 link projects and the Peninsular Component with 16 link projects, said the minister. As of July 2025, the Pre-Feasibility Reports (PFRs) have been completed for all 30 projects, Feasibility Reports (FRs) for 26 projects, and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for 11 projects. The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is the first interlinking initiative, under the NPP, to have entered the implementation stage. For other link projects, under the NPP, considerations such as budgetary provisions, fund allocations, and expenditure will be taken up once these projects advance to the implementation phase, said sources. Earlier on July 29, Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly, Dr Tushar Chaudhary, had written to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and asked to clarify the project status. In the letter, Dr Chaudhary mentioned that 'in 2022, there was a widespread protest among the tribals in Valsad, Tapi and Dangs districts in South Gujarat over the project, following which, the state government had assured the tribals that the Central government project will not take place, as the state government's consent is necessary, and they won't give consent'. 'The tribals of South Gujarat are tense, and as the Chief Minister, you have to offer a clarification,' stated the letter. Meanwhile, CR Paatil during the Sunday's function also slammed Congress leader Dr Tushar Chaudhary over the letter. 'Dr Chaudhary has previously held the post of the MoS in the Central government… he should know that no such DPR was presented in the Parliament,' said Paatil. Replying to Paatil, the Congress MLA of Vansda in Navsari district, Anant Patel, in a video on social media, said, 'If you (BJP and Paatil) want to regain the trust of the tribal community, 'you' give it in writing that the project has been cancelled and will not take place.' Meanwhile, Valsad BJP MP Dhaval Patel during a press conference on Sunday said, 'The Par Tapi Narmada river-linking project will not take place in South Gujarat. I am assuring you as a son of a tribal. The Congress leaders are unnecessarily misguiding the innocent tribals.' Sharing the details about the August 14 meeting, MLA Anant Patel told the Indian Express, 'A large number of tribals from different districts and talukas will gather at Dharampur town in Valsad on August 14 to protest against the project'. He added, 'This event will be non-political. We will address the tribals in the town during a rally and hand a memorandum to the Mamlatdar.' He further added, 'We are also going to carry out similar public meetings and rallies in Tapi and Dangs districts in the coming days to make the tribals aware about the project.' Patel said, 'If Union Minister Paatil claims that the project won't take place, then he should release a white paper on this issue in the Parliament.' The project was envisioned under the 1980 National Perspective Plan under the former Union Ministry of Irrigation and the Central Water Commission (CWC). The project proposes to transfer river water from the surplus regions of the Western Ghats to the deficit regions of Saurashtra and Kutch. It proposes to link three rivers — Par, originating from Nashik in Maharashtra and flowing through Valsad, Tapi from Saputara that flows through Maharashtra and Surat in Gujarat, and Narmada originating in Madhya Pradesh and flowing through Maharashtra and Bharuch and Narmada districts in Gujarat. The link mainly includes the construction of seven dams (Jheri, Mohankavchali, Paikhed, Chasmandva, Chikkar, Dabdar and Kelwan), three diversion weirs (Paikhed, Chasmandva, and Chikkar dams), two tunnels (5.0 kilometers and 0.5 kilometers length), the 395-kilometre long canal (205 kilometre in Par-Tapi portion including the length of feeder canals and 190 km in Tapi-Narmada portion), and six powerhouses. Of these, the Jheri dam falls in Nashik, while the remaining dams are in Valsad and Dang districts of South Gujarat.
Indian Express
24 minutes ago
- Indian Express
In capital, Opposition parties march against EC in show of unity on SIR, ‘vote theft'
Opposition parties on Monday took out a united march from Parliament against the Election Commission (EC) over the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar as well alleged 'voting malpractices' in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. As placard-bearing MPs sloganeered against the government and clambered over barricades, with some fainting, police stopped the march to the EC office and detained several senior leaders. This is the first time the INDIA bloc's parties have hit the street together, as they attempt to send a message that they stand united on the issue of 'electoral malpractices'. The march began at Parliament's Makar Dwar with around 300 MPs from Opposition parties singing the national anthem. Wearing white caps with the crossed-out words 'SIR' and 'vote chori', they soon set off for Nirvachan Sadan on Ashoka Road, lending varied colours to the streets of Central Delhi: from the Samajwadi Party and Left parties' red to the RJD's green and the Congress's white. The protesting MPs raised slogans against the SIR and 'vote chori'. There were signs of bonhomie and solidarity, as Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi lent a hand to TMC MP Mitali Bag as she fainted during the protest. Sanjay Singh and other leaders from the AAP, which maintains that it is not part of the INDIA bloc, also took part in the march. Police personnel on Parliament Street announced to the MPs through loudspeakers that only 30 representatives would be allowed to go to the EC office. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, meanwhile, scaled a barricade to cheers as TMC MPs Mahua Moitra and Sushmita Dev followed. Police detained several senior Opposition leaders — including NCP's Sharad Pawar, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Gandhi, Akhilesh and his MP wife Dimple Yadav, TMC's Derek O'Brien, Congress's Priyanka Gandhi, DMK's T R Baalu and CPI-M's John Brittas. All the detained MPs were taken to Parliament Street police station — chaos prevailed on the buses — and released at around 2 pm. Speaking to reporters from the window of the bus he was detained in, LoP Gandhi said: 'The reality is that they (EC) can't talk. Because the truth is in front of the country. This is not a political fight. This is a fight for the Constitution and to save it. It is a fight for one man, one vote. Hence, we want a clean voter list.' TMC Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha Sagarika Ghose alleged police pushed women MPs and dragged them by the hair. 'Women MPs have been pushed, shoved and dragged by the hair. One woman MP has fainted. The way women MPs have been mistreated. It is the most shocking nuzzling of democracy by the Modi government,' said Ghose in a video shared on X. A distraught Moitra could be seen in the video being fanned with a placard and taking sips of water. A detained Priyanka held up a copy of the Constitution — that had become synonymous with the Congress's campaign in last year's Lok Sabha election — and raised slogans against the government from inside the police vehicle. At the police station, Opposition MPs continued to raise slogans against the government and the EC. Kharge said the protest against 'vote chori' and SIR was a fight to protect people's right to vote and save democracy. 'BJP's cowardly dictatorship will not work!,' he said on X in Hindi. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said: 'Our demand from the EC was very clear. All Opposition MPs are staging a peaceful march. At the end of the march, we collectively wish to present a memorandum on SIR and other issues.' On Sunday, the EC had said it had decided to 'give an appointment for an interaction' to 30 party representatives 'due to limitation of space'. An EC official said Ramesh had acknowledged the EC's email, but not sent any list of names. After being released, the Opposition MPs headed back to Parliament, where both houses were functioning. In their absence, Lok Sabha passed the National Sports Governance Bill and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill. In Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Kharge briefly tried to raise the detention of the MPs but was not allowed to. Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament that the fight wasn't political anymore — it was for the 'soul of the country'. 'Three hundred MPs wanted to meet the ECI. They say they will come with a delegation and submit a document. The EC says no and that 300 MPs can't come. They are scared that if 300 MPs reach, then the truth will come out… In Karnataka, we have clearly shown that it is not one-man, one-vote…' About the EC demanding a signed undertaking from him over his allegations of voter malpractices in Karnataka, Gandhi said: 'This is a bid to distract. It has happened in different constituencies, not just in Bengaluru. The EC is trying to suppress this data, but we will release it and it will explode.' TMC Rajya Sabha leader O'Brien said he wished to convey 'four key issues' to the EC on 'SIR (vote chori)'. 'Initiate an FIR against former CEC Rajeev Kumar for manipulation of the voters' list… Going forward, implement digitisation of voters' list… No SIR should be conducted now. No bulldozing SIR in Opposition-ruled states. (If the current voters' list is full of flaws, the Union government should resign)… No political party will share BLA-2 details (profile, contact, and photo) with the EC, as these will promptly reach the BJP,' he said in a post on X. Asad Rehman is with the national bureau of The Indian Express and covers politics and policy focusing on religious minorities in India. A journalist for over eight years, Rehman moved to this role after covering Uttar Pradesh for five years for The Indian Express. During his time in Uttar Pradesh, he covered politics, crime, health, and human rights among other issues. He did extensive ground reports and covered the protests against the new citizenship law during which many were killed in the state. During the Covid pandemic, he did extensive ground reporting on the migration of workers from the metropolitan cities to villages in Uttar Pradesh. He has also covered some landmark litigations, including the Babri Masjid-Ram temple case and the ongoing Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute. Prior to that, he worked on The Indian Express national desk for three years where he was a copy editor. Rehman studied at La Martiniere, Lucknow and then went on to do a bachelor's degree in History from Ramjas College, Delhi University. He also has a Masters degree from the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia. ... Read More
The Hindu
24 minutes ago
- The Hindu
LDF, BJP on confrontational path over TDB decision to hold global Ayyappa devotees' meet at Sabarimala
The Travancore Devaswom Board's (TDB) decision to hold an international conference of Ayyappa devotees at Sabarimala in September appears to have put the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-backed by Hindu right-wing organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), on a confrontational path ahead of the local body polls in Kerala later this year. Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan had last week projected the conference as a proactive measure to put Sabarimala on the global pilgrimage map. BJP former State president Kummanam Rajasekharan termed the proposed conference a cover for the LDF government to undermine Sabarimala's ancient traditions and practices. The VHP has criticised the proposed devotees' conference as a guise for the LDF to allow non-believers and political activists to use the revered temple as a bully pulpit for their disruptive propaganda. Cong. silent so far The Congress is yet to reveal its stance on the proposal. Nevertheless, it seemed not lost on opposing fronts in Kerala that the previous LDF government's socially sensitive decision to implement the 2019 Supreme Court decision to allow women of all ages into Sabarimala had triggered widespread protests backed by the Congress, the BJP, specific Hindu social organisations and a constellation of majoritarian right-wing outfits, rocking the government. The State police's attempt to escort women, including those of childbearing age, a shibboleth challenged by the Apex Court, had resulted in violence, police cases and injuries on both sides. 2019 protests The BJP said the LDF, 'which persecuted Ayyappa devotees in 2019 for upholding their faith,' had no moral right to hold an international conference of devotees. It alleged that the LDF had retracted from its promise to withdraw cases against Hindu women who held peaceful prayer meetings to protest against the government's bid to open Sabarimala to women of childbearing age. Mr. Rajasekharan alleged that a cash-strapped LDF government was exploiting lakhs of Ayyappa devotees, who make the spiritual trek, for easy profit. He said the LDF government charged the Ayyappa devotees extortionately for providing below-par camping facilities.
