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News18
07-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Reclaim & Reconnect: BJP's Strategy For 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls
The BJP's formula not only aims to reclaim the 125 assembly seats it lost in 2022, but also mend its relationship with Dalit voters through a targeted 'SC Dialogue' campaign With an eye on the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come up with a special formula – 'reclaim and reconnect'. The formula, as per the BJP's 2027 blueprint, not only aims to reclaim the more than 125 assembly seats it lost in the 2022 assembly polls, but also mend its frayed relationship with Dalit voters through a targeted 'Scheduled Caste Dialogue' campaign, which the party is carrying out in the key constituencies. The defeat in key constituencies and the drubbing in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections — where the BJP could win only 33 of the 80 seats in UP — have served as a wake-up call. Under the strategic leadership of party state general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh, the BJP is going back to the grassroots, blending hard electoral arithmetic with emotional outreach. BJP'S RETROSPECTIVE REALISATION advetisement In the 2022 Vidhan Sabha polls, despite returning to power with 255 seats on its own and 18 more through allies Apna Dal (Soney Lal) and NISHAD party, the BJP failed to retain several strongholds. The 2024 general election results further punctuated the urgency for course correction, especially with the resurgent Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance gaining traction across caste lines — particularly among Dalits. 'The SP-Congress alliance misled Scheduled Caste voters by spreading falsehoods about the BJP's intentions towards the Constitution and Dr Ambedkar's legacy. However, this time our aim is to correct the misconceptions with facts and literature that reflect our long-standing commitment to social justice and Dalit empowerment," said Dharampal Singh. DALIT DIALOGUE One of the BJP's most concerted campaigns in recent times is its Scheduled Caste Dialogue programme — a series of grassroots meetings, public interactions, and cadre mobilisation efforts designed to engage directly with Dalit communities. Singh, who is spearheading the campaign, has been visiting district after district — especially those covering constituencies the BJP lost in 2022. From Pratapgarh to Ambedkar Nagar, from Rae Bareli to Bijnor, he has been holding what insiders describe as 'healing meetings" — aimed not just at political consolidation, but social reconnection. 'During these visits, we aren't just focusing on votes. We are listening to grievances, identifying gaps in welfare delivery, and communicating our commitment to safeguarding the Constitution," said a senior BJP leader involved in the planning. REBUILDING BOOTHS The BJP's second major thrust is structural — a meticulous rebuilding of its booth-level organisation in the lost constituencies. The party leadership has tasked district units with reactivating booth committees, identifying influential local faces among marginalised communities, and ensuring last-mile communication. 'Our experience has shown that a strong booth organisation translates into better electoral performance. In areas we lost, either our ground presence was weak or our message didn't reach effectively. That's being fixed," said another senior strategist. BJP workers have been asked to go door-to-door with campaign literature that highlights the party's policies for Dalits, including the provision of free housing, health insurance under Ayushman Bharat, and schemes like PM-SVANidhi for street vendors, many of whom belong to SC communities. AMBEDKAR AND THE CONSTITUTION advetisement Perhaps the most sensitive front in the BJP's twin-strategy campaign is the battle over BR Ambedkar's legacy and the sanctity of the Constitution — issues the Opposition has successfully used to corner the BJP in recent years. 'The narrative that the BJP is anti-Ambedkar or that it will dilute the Constitution is not just false, it's dangerous. Unfortunately, many fell for it during the Lok Sabha polls. We are going to dispel these myths with data, history, and outreach," said Singh. The BJP is also planning a series of conferences, seminars, and public dialogues — some in collaboration with Dalit intellectuals and retired bureaucrats — to present its perspective on Ambedkar's ideals and its alignment with the vision of social harmony and empowerment. THE ROAD TO 2027 top videos View All The road to 2027 is not just about electoral numbers, it's about the BJP's ideological and social positioning in India's most populous and politically critical state. With the SP and Congress alliance gaining momentum, and regional outfits such as the BSP watching from the sidelines, the BJP's twin-focus plan could be a game-changer — or a desperate last-ditch effort — depending on how well it is executed. 'If the BJP successfully rebuilds its connection with Dalits while strengthening its organisational structure in lost constituencies, it could blunt the edge of the SP-Congress alliance," said Prof. Shashikant Pandey, head of the Department of Political Science at Dr Ambedkar University, Lucknow. 'The real contest in 2027 will be over perception, narrative, and mobilisation." Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : bharatiya janata party bjp news18 specials uttar pradesh Location : Lucknow, India, India First Published: May 07, 2025, 19:35 IST News elections Reclaim & Reconnect: BJP's Strategy For 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
BJP's twin strategy for 2027: Focus on seats lost in 2022, Dalit outreach
: In a two-pronged campaign with an eye on the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is focusing on the seats it lost in the 2022 Vidhan Sabha polls and reaching out to Scheduled Caste (SC) voters who, the party feels, were taken in by the Opposition's propaganda during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the state. Spearheading this drive, BJP state general secretary (Organisation) Dharampal Singh has begun extensive district tours, concentrating on regions that include the lost assembly segments. During these visits, Singh is not only mobilising the party's grassroots cadre but also reaching out directly to Dalits and other marginalised communities. The party has decided to reach each voter in over 125 assembly constituencies it lost in 2022. On its own, the BJP won 255 seats in 2022. Another 18 seats were won by its allies the Apna Dal (Soney Lal) and the NISHAD party. In 2017, the BJP came to power with an absolute majority, winning 312 seats on its own. Another key part of the campaign is to counter the Opposition's narrative regarding BR Ambedkar, the Constitution, and related issues. Party strategists believe the Opposition has been trying to sway Dalit sentiments by accusing the BJP of undermining Ambedkar's legacy and constitutional values. The party is working hard to dispel the perception since the Lok Sabha polls that saw the BJP facing a setback from the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Congress alliance. 'We are working on the twin strategy keeping an eye on the 2027 assembly elections in the state,' BJP general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh told HT over the phone from Pratapgarh. 'On the one hand, we are focusing on the constituencies the party lost in 2022, on the other hand we are meeting Dalit voters under the Scheduled Caste Dialogue programme,' he added. Singh said the BJP would build an organisational structure up to the booth level and reach out to every voter in all the assembly constituencies lost in 2022 in a bid to reverse the outcome in these seats in 2027. 'The SP-Congress alliance misled SC voters during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, misinforming them that the BJP, if voted to power again, will change BR Ambedkar's Constitution. We are trying to remove this impression with facts and literature showing the BJP's contribution to the uplift of Dalits.' The BJP's outreach programme is believed to be a conscious bid aimed at rebuilding the party's connect with voters through targeted social engagements and grassroots activism, ensuring that the party regains lost ground well ahead of the 2027 elections. The party's poor performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls when it could win only 33 of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, continues to be a grim reminder of its weaknesses and the party has begun repairing the same in advance.
