To consolidate SC votes, BJP to reach out to 6,000 influential Dalits
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Lucknow: In a bid to consolidate support among Scheduled Castes, BJP has decided to launch another outreach campaign aimed at engaging 1,000 influential Dalit personalities in each of the six organisational regions of Uttar Pradesh.
The campaign will be spearheaded by party's SC Morcha in coordination with senior state functionaries. A campaign plan was recently drawn up by the BJP central leadership, which asked the state unit to reach out to the various sub-castes within the Dalits, including Jatavs, Pasis, Koris and Dhobis.
"We will gather broader feedback from the influential sections amongst the Dalit and take corrective measures wherever needed," UP
BJP SC Morcha
president Ram Chandra Kannaujia told TOI on Friday.
The campaign is seen as part of a broader electoral strategy to counter opposition narratives while reinforcing the BJP's footprints in the SC-dominated constituencies.
BJP has demarcated UP into six organisational regions: Kashi, Gorakhpur, Awadh, Kanpur, Braj and western UP. Sources said that a dedicated team of party functionaries has been tasked to identify prominent Dalit people, including retired bureaucrats, teachers, social workers, religious figures, community leaders and professionals, whose influence could potentially impact a collective opinion within the SC community.
The outreach comes at a time when the BJP faces stiff competition from the Opposition, primarily the Samajwadi Party and its ally Congress, besides the BSP, which have historically enjoyed significant support among Dalit voters.
Kannaujia said that the campaign will aim to intensify its messaging around social justice, economic empowerment, and welfare measures targeted at SC communities. Experts said that personal interaction with influential Dalit figures can help dispel perceptions of exclusion and infuse a sense of political inclusion amongst the Dalit community.
The campaign also aims to highlight the role of Dalit leaders within the BJP itself.
Plans are also afoot to organise felicitation programmes and community service events in Dalit-dominated areas. These events will serve as platforms for dialogue on govt policies and community welfare.
The development comes days after BJP initiated a 'dialogue' programme in various districts. The programme was spearheaded by state general secretary (organisation) Dharam Pal Singh.
These meetings aimed to boost the morale of Dalit functionaries and prepare them for future campaigns, sources said.
Though assembly elections are still two years away, BJP's early start signals its intent to consolidate its support base and blunt any early moves by its political rivals. Party analysts believe that the Dalit vote, which constitutes over 21% of UP's population, could be a deciding factor in several tightly contested seats.
"The idea is not just to win elections, but to win trust," said a BJP SC Morcha leader. "Our party believes in Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and we are proving that through direct engagement and representation," he said.
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