Political parties vie for dalit support ahead of Kanshi Ram’s death anniversary

LUCKNOW: As the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) faces electoral challenges, the crucial Dalit vote bank, once its stronghold, has become a battleground for major political parties in Uttar Pradesh. The upcoming death anniversary of the Dalit ideologue and BSP founder, Kanshi Ram, on October 9, has turned into a significant event, with all major political players launching programs to woo Dalit voters.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress, and Samajwadi Party have announced initiatives to observe Kanshi Ram’s death anniversary.

The BJP, in particular, is deploying approximately 40,300 Dalit NaMo Mitras, with 100 allocated to each of the 403 Assembly segments in Uttar Pradesh. Their mission is to garner community support for six mega Dalit outreach events planned across the state this month.

These outreach campaigns are part of the BJP’s strategy to strengthen its connection with the Dalit community, a move strategically timed to counter similar efforts by the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, both of whom are eyeing BSP’s Dalit voters.