With the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) losing its sheen among the Dalit community in Uttar Pradesh, Congress has decided to capitalise on the opportunity with various programmes.
In a massive outreach programme launched for the Dalit community, UP Congress has planned to approach around one lakh influential people in all the 80 parliamentary constituencies of the state. The party has chalked out a multi-layered programme, which includes holding Night Chaupal in Dalit areas, meeting with influential people of the community, and asking them to fill out a form citing their main demands from the government. The programme, known as 'Dalit Gaurav Samwad,' started in UP on October 9, the death anniversary of BSP founder Kanshiram, and will conclude on November 26.
Congress plans to reach 1 lakh influential people
According to the organisational secretary of UP Congress, Anil Yadav, during this programme, the party has planned to reach one lakh influential people among the Dalit community. To begin with, the party workers would meet at least 250 people in every assembly segment of UP. Besides, the Congress workers will approach 500 Dalits in every assembly segment and ask them to fill out a form called 'Dalit Adhikaar Patra.' In this form, the Dalit voters would list their demands from the government. The party has also planned special conventions in the Dalit-dominated areas during the nights, and these would be called 'Dalit Chaupal.'
The Congress leaders engaged in this outreach program informed that after the campaign is over, a massive convention would be organized in Lucknow in the first week of December, which will be addressed by prominent Dalit leaders of the party. During the campaign, the party would form a core group of Dalits in every parliamentary constituency.
'Time to consolidate Dalits again'
It may be mentioned that Congress has also been raising the issue of caste-based census in a big way in UP. The party has already organised divisional conventions of backward communities in UP in which the demand for caste census and increasing reservation limits was raised. According to a senior party leader, with forward class voters fully backing BJP, special attention is being paid to the backward and Dalit voters in UP. "Dalits in UP have traditionally been Congress voters, and now is the time to consolidate them again," he said.
