With an eye on polls, BJP woos Dalit voters

With three days to go for polling in the by-elections, BJP is aiming at Dalit votes. The ruling party has allocated task of attracting Dalit votes to its 26 Dalit MLAs including food and supply minister Babu Lal Verma, senior Dalit leader and chairman of SC commission Kaka Sundar Lal, women and child welfare minister Anita Bhadel, parliamentary secretary Jitendra Gothwal, Kailash Verma and Prem Bairwa among other MLAs.

They are camping in their respective constituencies meeting people of their caste. Dalit votes have become vital for victory and n these by-elections.

BJP, in last Lok Sabha and assembly elections, had been able to register huge victory riding on Dalit votes. Dalit, the traditional vote bank of Congress had frittered away to BJP. Congress, in past, had been able to form governments for decades cornering this huge vote bank of Dalits.

Dalits comprise 18-20 per cent of votes. In the poll-bound constituencies- Alwar, Ajmer and Mandalgarh, Dalits would be key to victory. Of late BJP has given preference to Dalit leaders both in government and organisation. For the first time, BJP has made Kailash Meghwal speaker who is a Dalit.

BJP also captured SriGanganar Lok Sabha constituency in last elections which is the largest SC reserved congress constituency. BJP knows the importance of Dalit votes, which had helped it win the Dholpur by-election.

It is worth mentioning that there are 3.5 lakh Dalit voters in Ajmer, 4 lakh Dalit voters in Alwar and nearly 50,000 voters in Mandalgarh assembly. It is worth mentioning that BJP has given precious positions to Dalit leaders in both central and state government.

Dalit factor

• There are 3.5 lakh Dalit voters in Ajmer, 4 lakh Dalit voters in Alwar and nearly 50,000 voters in Mandalgarh assembly.  
• Dalits comprise 18-20 per cent of votes. In the poll-bound constituencies- Alwar, Ajmer and Mandalgarh, Dalits would be key to victory. It is worth mentioning that BJP has given precious positions to Dalit leaders.