Congress, BJP tug-of-war over dalit votes

With less than two months to go for the Assembly elections, Congress in Uttar Pradesh is now gearing up to woo the Dalit community, after conducting an extensive month-long campaign targeting the farmers and issues related to them.

The party would hold specific Dalit sammelans across the state and has tasked parliamentarian P.L. Punia with overseeing the implementation of this outreach programme.

Dalits constitute nearly 21 per cent of the state’s population, majority of whom have been traditional supporters of Mayawati-led BSP but have been gradually shifting their allegiance since the 2014 elections primarily due to Mayawati’s renewed focus towards the upper castes.

For the Congress, therefore, the Dalit community’s support assumes paramount importance just as it builds its base to gather support of the upper castes, who largely side with the BJP.

As part of its outreach programme, the Congress has already identified leaders for most of the 85 reserved assembly constituencies in UP and may pick candidates from among them to contest the election next year.

As a separate measure, party vice president Rahul Gandhi has intensified his attacks targeting the ruling Samajwadi Party in the state and the NDA government at the Centre, besides having visited Gujarat and Hyderabad, states that have been in news over acts of atrocities on Dalits. Congress leaders say the party now has build on the momentum it has created with the Kisan Yatra and other agitations it has held in the recent past.