Congress banks on dalits to win Punjab

The Congress is planning a convention for dalits in Amritsar on the 17th of this month. While Congress vice-president is currently busy in his Deoria to Delhi yatra in the poll-bound state of Uttar Pradesh, he is expected to be part of the convention. This is to draw votes from the huge dalit population in Punjab.

The Assembly elections in Punjab are to be held early next year. The population of dalits is almost 32% in Punjab and has swing powers in marginal constituencies. Apart from the convention, the Congress also has a massive outreach programme in place which would be set in motion by the end of this month. The Congress will declare that 33% of chairmanships in the state will be exclusively reserved for dalits, a new idea to woo the dalits in the state.

Also 300 units of free power will be provided to dalit households. A list of other sops for dalits is also in the offing.

The Shagun scheme for the girl child, which entails '51,000 for the girl child will also be extended to all dalits. At the moment the scheme caters to Scheduled Castes and Christians only.

Interestingly, when two Rajya Sabha nominations fell vacant in March this year in Punjab, the Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh prevailed over the Congress high command to give one nomination to a dalit. Shamsher Singh Dullo, a dalit leader, was chosen among many others. The previous incumbent Ashwini Kumar, who was the law minister in the UPA, had to make way for him.

The Punjab outreach model will be divided into several programmes. These include road shows, nukkad sabhas, kisan panchayat, door to door campaign and rallies in all the 117 Assembly constituencies. The ones which will be attended by Mr Gandhi will be finalized in the days to come. Other senior leaders of the Congress will be traveling the entire length of Punjab as the programme is expected to be six months long.

The Congress is planning to appoint booth level workers much before the elections. Their basic task would be to connect with prospective voters. The concentration will be on dalits and minorities. The Congress feels that the BSP does not have a leader in Punjab and the dalit votes should come to the Congress.

As there are 13 parliamentary constituencies in Punjab the Congress will be launching a vehicle for each constituency.

These will have election propaganda items, senior leaders of the Congress and congress workers will be accompanying these vehicles. Congress spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit said that “the congress has always stood for weaker sections of the of the society and in Punjab too equal representation will be given to all”.