The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is responsible for the various welfare schemes launched by the State Government after the names of prominent Dalit personalities. The State president of BSP Meghraj Singh told
The Pioneer that since BSP was supporting the Congress-led Government, it was in position to put pressure on the State Government.
The Harish Rawat Government has launched a slew of welfare schemes for dalit community recently. The State Government renamed the Doon University after Maharshi Valmiki, it also started a recruitment drive to fill the backlog vacancies of SC and STs in the State.
The Government has made announcements to start Raidas and Khushiram scholarships for SC and STs, to make Jayanand Bharti and Khushiram parks in all municipalities and increase the government aid for marriage of SC girls to Rs 50,000. It appeared that with these schemes the Rawat Government wants to lure the Dalit vote bank which seems to have shifted to the BSP. The State has about 18 per cent of Dalit votes and the BSP has pockets of influence in parts of the State.
Meghraj Singh said that BSP has great respect for the Dalit personalities and it put pressure on the State Government for launching these schemes.
“The fact that previous Congress Government did not start these schemes as BSP was not part of it clearly indicates the pressure we put this time,” he claimed. Singh said that the BSP support base is intact in the State and is increasing at a healthy rate. The vote share of BSP increased from 11 per cent in the Assembly elections in 2007 to 13 per cent in the Assembly elections of 2012.