Rajasthan BJP restrategising to woo Dalit votebank

The recent by-poll debacle has forced the ruling BJP to rethink its strategy. The party seemed to have come to conclusion that Dalit votes shifted away from it, hence, it is now trying to woo them.

The appointment of BL Jatawat is being seen a part of BJP’s Dalit agenda in which it would increasingly give more prominence to Dalit faces. Ramkumar Verma was sent to Rajya Sabha for the same reason. Importantly, they are linked to Ambedkar Welfare Society.

The party is also likely to change around 70 percent faces on 34 assembly seats reserved for scheduled castes. There is also possibility of a Dalit being appointed state president.

In the previous assembly election, the BJP has made huge inroads in congress traditional Dalit vote bank to bag 30 seats while the Congress got just one. But, the defeat in recent by-election got BJP to renew the strategy as general feedback was that Dalits were unhappy with the party.

Since chief minister Vasundhara Raje and state BJP president Ashok Parnami have set the target of 180 seats in assembly election later this year, the party is banking heavily on Ambedkar Welfare Society, which has command and respect among Dalits whether government employees or socially influential persons.

Dalits constitutes 18 to 20 % of total votes in the state. They are traditionally congress supporters but walked over to BJP in the last assembly and Lok Sabha elections. They can play a decisive role in who will form the government, therefore, the government as well as the pary organisation is working hard to keep them in good humour. One possible way is to appoint a Dalit as state president. After the by-poll defeat, the BJP has started grading of Dalit seats through a survey indicating that may incumbent Dalit MLAs may face axe.

Dalit faces in government 

• Arjun Ram Meghwal is Union minister of state, finance in Modi government 
• Kailash Meghwal is speaker of the state assembly.
• Babulal Verma is Food and civil supply minister with cabinet rank
• Anita Bhadel and Kamsa Meghwal- Both are minister of state .
• Jitendra Gothwal, Kailash Verma, Vishwanath Meghwal are parliamentary secretary.
• Gopal Pacherwal and Kaka Sunder Lal were given prominence by BJP.

Faces of dalit society 

• Union MoS Arjun Ram Meghwal was earlier general secretary of the BJP and Ambedkar Welfare Society. He is tipped to be the next state BJP president.
• Ramkumar Verma is Rajya Sabha MP. Had no prior link to the BJP. Former general secretary of the society.
• BL Jatawat was chairman of subordinate ministerial employees selection board. Kailash Verma is Parliamentary Secretary in Raje government. He was vice-president in the Ambedkar welfare society.