UP BJP to adopt more offensive posture on Dalit issues

Lucknow, July 8 (IANS) The BJP in Uttar Pradesh will now adopt a more offensive posture on issues related to Dalits in order to counter the opposition narrative.

The party sees this as a reason for the shifting of Dalit voters from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls and the lack of Dalit leadership in Uttar Pradesh.

At a meeting of the party’s SC cell with national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh here on Sunday evening, the media cell of the party was instructed to be more offensive during TV debates and counter every narrative of the opposition with facts.

Santhosh, in separate meetings with prominent leaders of the SC Morcha of the BJP and the party’s media cell, also discussed the party’s internal assessment of the Lok Sabha polls, and it was concluded that Dalit voters, apart from Jatavs, who were with the BJP in the 2019 polls, had shifted to the INDIA bloc this time.

Santhosh tried to find out the reasons for this shift while interacting with the party’s Dalit leaders. During the meeting, Santhosh stressed that the BJP’s SC Morcha and Dalit leaders should make all-out efforts to bring back Dalits into the party fold.

Asim Arun, social welfare minister in the state government, said, “In the meeting, it was discussed what else could be done for the deprived community. We were asked to give suggestions on this issue. The BJP is working for the deprived, but strategies are being prepared to also include those who are still excluded. The meeting discussed how they can be further improved.”

Santhosh also asked the SC Morcha to dispel the misconception spread by the opposition regarding reservation and change in the Constitution.

During campaigning for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, BJP’s slogan ‘Ab ki baar, 400 par’ was used by the opposition to drive home the point that BJP would change the Constitution and revoke reservations if it won 400 seats and formed the government at the Centre.

Gulab Devi, secondary education minister in the state government, said: “Dalits are getting maximum benefits when it comes to free ration. Another community which does not think in good terms for the BJP is also getting the maximum benefit of the free ration scheme.” She added that Dalits were not angry with the BJP.

Former BJP MP from Barabanki Priyanka Rawat said the opposition misled people on the issue of reservation.

Santhosh pointed out that circumstances had changed after the Lok Sabha election.

“Opposition is more offensive now and you (media cell) will have to counter every narrative (of the opposition) with facts,” Santhosh said.

He pointed out that news channels’ outlook towards the BJP had also changed somewhat after the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

In this changed scenario, the party’s media cell would have to counter every propaganda of the opposition with facts.