The Congress will go aggressive on the “dalit agenda” ahead of the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections after realising that this could put its opponents — the BJP, the Shiromani Akali Dal and
The Congress will go aggressive on the “dalit agenda” ahead of the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections after realising that this could put its opponents — the BJP, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Samajwadi Party — on the defensive in these two states.
Many factors have already gone against the BJP-led NDA, such as the attacks on dalits in Gujarat, Rohith Vemula’s suicide in the Central University of Hyderabad, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s interview to review reservations, cut in the SC sub-plan and attempts to prevent dalits and backward castes from contesting panchayat elections in Haryana on the pretext of minimum educational qualification. The recent statement of its Uttar Pradesh leader Dayashankar Singh against BSP supremo Mayawati could work to the detriment of the saffron party in the coming electoral battle.
After sending out a positive message to brahmins in Uttar Pradesh by projecting Sheila Dikshit as the Congress’ chief ministerial candidate, the Sonia Gandhi-led party is trying to regain lost ground among the dalits in Utttar Pradesh by taking up their issues aggressively.
On the other hand, Ms Mayawati is being questioned within her own party for “selling tickets”. A section in the Congress foresees many people leaving the party in the coming months.
Ms Mayawati cannot play the “dalit card” aggressively because this could antagonise the upper castes in UP .Moreover, she cannot become a chief minister only on dalit votes.
The BJP, which is relying on the “polarising plank”, cannot attract OBCs because of the Samajwadi Party, the JD(U),get dalit votes against the backdrop of attacks on dalits across the country and cannot afford to play the upper caste card openly.
The Congress managers feel that these developments could help the party, and thus it is going back to the basics — consolidation of brahmins, dalits and minorities.
As far as the Punjab polls are concerned, the stand of the AAP on social issues has yet to translate into votes. The dalits in Punjab are decisive in elections.The Congress has a structure, a credible face and history of governance, but it lacks unity and is currently reviving the fighting spirit among its workers.
