With the contours of the BSP-SP alliance becoming visible in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party has started caste-based meetings. A Dalit Sammelan was organised in Lucknow on Wednesday, aiming to send out the message that the BJP was the true friend of the community.
State BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey was the chief guest at the function. Party MLC Vidyasagar Sonkar and other Dalit leaders also took part in the meet. “Only the BJP can think about ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas’. BJP governments both at the Centre and UP have formulated policies that will benefit Dalits and downtrodden people of the society,” Pandey said.
The BJP leader spoke about Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ujjawala Scheme and the government’s decision to provide free power connections, which he claimed had transformed the lives of poor people. “The programme was a part of Samajik Pratinidhi Baithak organised by Anusuchit Jaati Morcha. Ten people from each district took part in this meeting and discussed government’s achievement,” Vidyasagar Sonkar said.
Sonkar said that 10 members would then hold meetings at block and tehsil level and thereby people would come to know about the government achievements. Earlier, the party had held various meetings of the backward community to be addressed by Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya.