Clamour for dalit votes begins in UP

The four major political players in Uttar Pradesh — Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party — are now eyeing the dalit voters which account for nearly 22 per cent of the total population.

After the invincibility of dalit votes cracked in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and dalits deserted the BSP to vote for the BJP, all political parties are trying to win over dalits for the next Assembly elections.

The Samajwadi Party, which is perceived as a pro-OBC and anti-dalit force, has also started making friendly overtures to the dalits and a beginning has been made with UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav proposing a magnificent memorial for dalit ideologue B.R. Ambedkar.

The BSP has been frantically trying to win back its dalit voters and is back to cultivating a “dalit only” image by sidelining upper-caste leaders in the party.

The party has been organising “dalit sammelans” at the village level where its coordinators are explaining o the voters the benefits of remaining under the BSP umbrella.

BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya says, “2014 was an exception and dalits got misled by the BJP propaganda but now they have realised that their interests can be watched only in a BSP regime. Other parties are trying but they will not be able to wean away our people.” The Congress, on the other hand, is taking out Bhim Jyoti Yatras to find a foothold in dalit-populated areas. The Congress is determined to keep the Rohith Vemula issue alive and use it against the BJP in the Assembly polls.

Congress MP P.L. Punia explains, “Parties like the SP and the BJP have always had an anti-dalit mentality but both are now talking of memorials for Dr Ambedkar because elections are near. The fact remains that in the BJP and SP regime, atrocities on dalits have increased and it is the Congress alone which is taking up the issue nationwide.”

The BJP, meanwhile, is preparing to give greater representation to dalits in its organisational set up and the RSS is busy organising “Samrasta Bhoj” in dalit-populated areas.

Not to be left behind in this clamour for dalit votes in the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) that is making its political debut with a byelections next months.

The AIMIM has already started wooing dalits along with Muslims and its leaders believe that the dalit-Muslim combination can work wonders in the Assembly elections. The new posters of AIMIM scream “Jai Bhim, Jai Mim”.