UP By-Polls: BJP's Nationalism vs. INDIA Alliance's Backward and Minority Outreach

As the BJP, blending Hindutva and nationalism, kicked off its “Tiranga March” across all the state’s Assembly constituencies on Saturday, the Congress simultaneously launched a month-long campaign to consolidate the OBC and minority vote bank by focusing on the caste census and the Waqf Amendment Bill. After the success of its “Pichada, Dalit, Alpsankhyak” (PDA) plank, standing for backwards, dalits and minorities, in the Lok Sabha polls, the Samajwadi Party, with an eye on the bypolls and the 2027 Assembly elections in the state, will now hold a PDA padayatra across the villages in Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP began its two-pronged attack with UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath raising the issue of atrocities being committed against Hindus in Bangladesh at Milkipur in Ayodhya, and the party launching the “Tiranga March” on Saturday.

Regardless of the hype, sources revealed that one of the key reasons for the BJP to bank on the nationalism plank was to counter the rapid desertion of the backward vote bank, particularly that of the Dalits, to the INDIA alliance.

Sensing that nationalism might “not be enough” to ensure the party’s victory in the Assembly byelections, top BJP leaders were also holding parleys with its UP Dalit leaders. Sources said that immediately after the Lok Sabha results were declared, BJP general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santosh held a series of meetings with UP Dalit leaders. The BJP has asked its Dalit leaders to spread out and start to regain the support of the community.

While the BJP was burning its midnight oil to put its fading Dalit base in order, the Congress was all set to mobilise its workers at the village level to reach out to the backward communities and the minorities. A senior party leader said that its OBC minority and fishermen cells have been asked to go to the districts and hold a “signature campaign” to garner support for the caste census. Congress workers in UP have also been asked to reach out to the intelligentsia of these communities.

As for the saffron strategy, speculation is rife that of the 10 Assembly seats going to the polls, the BJP will be contesting nine while one might go to the RLD. The Nishad Party, a BJP ally, might not be given any berth. While the BJP had only five of the 10 Assembly berths in its kitty, the Yogi camp feels that winning a maximum number of seats would not merely boost the morale of the party but would also strengthen the chief minister’s position, that is reportedly hanging in balance after the party’s dismal performance in the Lok Sabha polls.