UP Assembly polls: BJP plans 200 events to woo Dalits

New Delhi: The BJP will hold 200 "Dalit Sammelans" across Uttar Pradesh to woo the community ahead of the next year’s assembly elections in the state. All dalit MPs and leaders have been asked to fan out and make voters from the electorally significant community aware of the Centre's "pro-poor" measures.

This comes amid growing cases of violence against dalits by cow vigilantes in various states including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Protests by dalit groups forced Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July to lash out at cow vigilantes and perpetrators of violence.

BJP chief Amit Shah is also focusing on strengthening booth level management with the slogan-"Mera booth sabse majboot". In all, 1.45 lakh booths in the state, the party chief has appointed booth presidents and set up booth samitis. At least 10 youths have been appointed to man each booth, sources said.

To attract youth, which had rallied behind the BJP during the 2014 Lok sabha polls, the BJP will also be holding youth meets in 91 districts of the state. IT centres have been set up in 92 districts by the party, since much of electoral battle is expected to be on social media, a BJP functionary said.

Sensing that the main rival will be the BSP, the BJP leadership has been focusing on weakening Mayawati's core vote bank of Dalits, and upset her social engineering formula. So far nearly 10 leaders from Mayawati's outfit defected to the saffron side. The list includes key Dalit leader Swami Prasad Maurya and BSP's Brahmin face Brijesh Pathak.

In the 2014 general elections, the BJP got 24% of the Dalit vote nationwide, more than any other party. With cow vigilantes on the rampage and Mayawati’s reported resurgence, the situation has become tricky for the party. In UP, though the BSP failed to win a single seat, it got nearly 20% of the vote.

A BJP strategist claimed, "In constituencies where the BSP is doing well, the Yadavs will vote for the BJP."  The party's internal survey shows Jats in western UP, who played a key role in BJP’s fine show in 2014, could be turning against the party.  The Jat Aarakshan Mahasabha has threatened to ask its members to "boycott" the BJP in next year’s Assembly elections as its demand for a reservations have not yet been met by the Centre.