BJP plans a new strategy for Dalits in Uttar Pradesh with SP-BSP joining hands for LS polls

New Delhi, Jan 16: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won all the 17 reserve seats for the Scheduled Caste community out of total 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2014 Lok Sabha elections but this time round, it is a big challenge for the party in view of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) forging an alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP).

BSP chief Mayawati appealed to the party workers on the occasion of her birthday that there was a need to strengthen the alliance. But sniffing all this, the BJP has intensified its activities to make Dalits their own. The BJP is more aggressively trying to win over all castes and communities with its slogan Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.

The saffron outfit will not only leave any stone upturned to manage the community in the programme and conferences organized for it. In the 2014 Lok Sabha, the BJP managed to win all seats on its non-Jatav formula. The BJP has Neelam Sonkar from Lalganj, Vinod Kumar Sonkar from Kaushambi and Dr Bhola Singh from Bulandshar from the Khatik community; Krishna Raj belonging to Pasi community from Shahjahanpur, Anju Bala from Mishrikh, Ansul Verma from Hardoi, Kaushal Kishor from Mohanlalganj, Kamlesh Paswan from Bansgaon, Priyanka Rawat from Barabanki, and Savitri Bai Phule from Bahraich.

Rajesh Kumar Diwakar belonging to the Dhobi community got elected from Hathras, Bhanu Pratap Verma belonging to Kori community from Jalon, Chote Lal Kharwar from Robertsganj Lok Sabha seat belonging to Kharwar community.

Professor Rama Shanker Katheria from the Katheria community got elected from Agra and from Jatav community Dr Yashwant Singh from Nagina and Ashok Dohre from Etawah got elected. Ram Charitra Nishad had won the election from Machhali Shahar by producing certificate of Dalit community.

Only Etawah and Nagina had gone to the Jatav community and maximum seat had gone to the Pasi community with seven seats out of that only Savitri Bai Phule had quit the party racking up issues like reservation in promotions. But the BJP has entrusted the responsibility of the community to Kaushal Kishor who belongs to the Pasi community.

Moreover, the BJP has realised the strength of Kori community during 2014 and 2017 elections, so in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections the BJP will given them prominence as they have influence not only in Uttar Pradesh but at some other places. AT the moment the BJP has just one MP from the community that is from Jalon while many MLA had won in 2017. President of India too belongs to the same community. Kori and Balmiki communities are likely to be given more representation.