Eye on UP, BJP to woo OBCs, Dalits and Adivasis

Having promised Muslims with two lakh jobs for Urdu teachers, the BJP today announced a plan to rope in leaders of Dalits, Adivasis and othe...

Having promised Muslims with two lakh jobs for Urdu teachers, the BJP today announced a plan to rope in leaders of Dalits, Adivasis and other backward classes (OBCs) to drum up support among these sections.

The plan is focussed primarily at UP. While the state accounts for the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats (80), the BJP’s own prospects are not too good due to an erosion of its base. The party’s in-house feedback of an unimpressive show has forced the top brass to try to deliver at least some marginal seats. Since the party has traditionally had a weak base among the Dalits and Adivasis, it is focussing on them.

Party general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi announced that 25 leaders, drawn from UP and neighbouring states, would join the campaign. They include Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, MP CM Uma Bharati, Union Minister Karia Munda, Dilip Singh Judeo (Rajput with a following among Adivasis) and Jai Narayan Prasad Nishad.

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Naqvi claimed that the BJP, with 21 of the 41 Adivasi Lok Sabha members and 25 of the 79 Scheduled Caste Lok Sabha members, accounted for their largest chunks. He claimed the BJP, given its share in the representation of weaker sections, occupied the space ‘‘held by Congress 40 years ago’’.

Naqvi listed several measures undertaken by the NDA Government for the welfare of weaker sections, including the extension of political reservation for 10 years, a separate ministry for tribal affairs and appointment of nine ministers belonging to scheduled castes and tribes.

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