BJP Analyzes Dalit Vote Shift in UP, Plans Outreach Strategy

In response to its significant loss of Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is conducting an in-depth review to understand the shift in Dalit votes, particularly in reserved constituencies. The party is preparing a community outreach plan to address these concerns.

BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh recently visited Lucknow for this election review and held separate meetings with Dalit leaders, including ministers, MPs, and MLAs. The discussions highlighted a lack of connection with the Dalit community and the failure to communicate the party's message effectively at the grassroots level as major factors in the BJP's poor performance.

Party leaders have been instructed to focus on building a stronger connection with the community and countering the "lies" of the Opposition, which is also attempting to win over Dalit voters. The BJP, which had previously performed well in the 17 Scheduled Castes (SC)-reserved seats, winning 14 of them in 2019, managed to secure only eight seats this time. The Samajwadi Party took seven, while the Congress and the Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) won one seat each.

According to a party leader involved in the review, the poor performance was due to a lack of coordination, failure to mobilize community members, and over-confidence in the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, combined with anti-incumbency sentiments. "There was a lack on our part and it has to be corrected by us," he said.

Senior BJP leaders from the Dalit community, including state ministers Baby Rani Maurya, Gulab Devi, Asim Arun, and Dinesh Khatik, were instructed to reach out to their respective sub-communities and correct the "misconceptions being spread by the Opposition," according to sources.

Kanaujia also emphasized that the party's vote bank has not shifted, attributing the electoral loss to complacency caused by Opposition misinformation about the Constitution and other issues. "The expectations were very high and the party leadership felt let down. But let me assure you that our vote bank has not shifted," he asserted. "We will inform the community about the steps taken for their welfare both at the Center and the state level."

Author: Anushka Taraniya

News writer