BJP whips up Dalit agenda

An exclusive agenda for Dalits, a heady mix of Hindutva and ‘‘yatras’’, complete statehood for Delhi and projection of Madan Lal Khurana, Vasundhara Raje and Uma Bharati as chief ministers. All this is on the cards as the BJP braces to face polls in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh this year-end.

The BJP has planned a national convention of its Dalit leaders at Mhow in MP on April 25 and 26 to adopt an agenda for Dalit upliftment. Mhow has been chosen as it is the birthplace of B.R. Ambedkar. Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani would inaugurate the meet, which would adopt the Mhow declaration.

Party chief M. Venkaiah Naidu declared today the BJP would make the Rajasthan action against VHP general secretary Pravin Togadia an election issue. Naidu said Uma Bharati had embarked on a ‘‘yatra’’ to mobilise opinion against the Congress in MP while Vasundhara Raje would shortly do so. The plan for Chhattisgarh would be finalised by Mahajan during his visit to Raipur with Rajnath Singh soon.