With an eye on dalit vote bank the two-day state working committee meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sent a message loud and clear that it means business and wants to form the next government in Uttar Pradesh in 2017.
Party’s in-charge Om Prakash Mathur not only asked the party leaders to intensify the on-going membership drive but also stressed on the need to bring “all sections of the society on board.” He clearly meant that party should promote dalits and MBCs so that social umbrella expands to upper caste, backwards. Dalits and most-backward class.
A senior leader who attended the meeting told The Pioneer on Monday that in closed door meetings Mathur said that in at least 121 assembly constituencies, which are dominated by dalits and MBCs, the BJP has done very well in last General elections. The fact was the party even did not have candidates to operate polling booths still dalits voted in favour of BJP.
“This is a very positive trend and the party should cash in on that,” Mathur told the leaders and asked them to ensure dalits become active members of the party. “Once they become members they should be given more responsibility,” he said.
There is a belief in the political circles that BSP has lost momentum. The last lok Sabha results have sung a requiem for the party. If BJP can play its cards better the dalits can align with them.
Party’s state president Dr laxmi Kant Bajpai said that leaders have been assigned the job. They are supposed to go to village and make new members. In dalit localities they are supposed to stay put for a few days, he said.
“Staying in village will also help leaders to gauze the mood of villagers that in turn will help us during panchayat elections,” he said.
National vice-president of the party Dr Dinesh Sharma said that the message that came out of the state working committee is that people are fed up with the mis-rule of Akhilesh Yadav Government and the BJP should gear up to take new responsibility.
“There is enthusiasm among people. The membership drive is not just jotting down names. People are wiling to come forward and volunteer for any assignment for the party,” he said. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a change and it is quire visible,” he said.
He said initially the party had set a target of 1 crore. This has now be revised. It stands at 1.5 crore and I will not be surprised if we are forced to upgrade our target, he said.