Planning to tilt the dalit vote bank in favour of the BJP in the 2017 Assembly polls, PM Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah are set to pay homage to dalit icons Ravidas and Raja Suheldev on February 22 and 24 respectively.
On February 24, Shah will visit Bahraich - a politically sensitive district, to pay homage to Raja Suheldev, the 11th century Pasi king. On his part, the PM will visit Ravidas Ghat in Varanasi on February 22. Ravi Das and Raja Suheldev are revered dalit icons.
While Sant Ravidas was a respected guru from the Jatav caste, Raja Suhaldev, was a Pasi king who vanquished Muslim warrior Salar Masood Ghazi. Electorally speaking, Pasis are a dominant Dalit sub-caste and matter most after the Jatavs. “Please do not link the visits of Modi and Shah with dalit politics. The BJP never believes in caste politics. Our leaders are honouring them because they are icons,” said a senior BJP leader.
Although the Assembly polls are expected in early 2017, the party leaders’ early forays signify the importance the BJP attaches to the state. Activities in the party have intensified after the BJP roped in former BSP leader Jugal Kishore – a dalit face in UP.
Jugal Kishore was instrumental in taking Modi to Ambedkar Mahasabha during his visit to luknow on January 22 last. After his visit, the Mahasabha officials issued statements saying that Modi can be the next Kanshi Ram if he takes pro-dalit decisions. They were hinting at reservation in private sector.
Party leaders are silent over these claims of Mahasabha leadership but say that the dalits have always been BJP supporters. In the last few years, they had sided with Mayawati but have returned to the BJP. This was manifested in the lok Sabha election where the BJP won most of the state’s 80 seats. In case of Raja Suheldev, the party wants to highlight the Pasi king as a Hindu warrior who fought to safeguard Hindus from Muslim invaders.
BJP leaders said, “Shah will unveil a statue of Raja Suheldev in Bahraich and then address a rally and all local leaders have been asked to attend the rally. Shah wanted to visit the Suheldev memorial during the 2014 general election campaign but could not make it.” The district of Bahraich bordering Nepal, has been communally sensitive long before the BJP and its precursor, the Jana Sangh , registered their presence on the political radar.