As the Lok Sabha elections draw near, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has launched several programmes aimed at garnering support from Dalit voters.
Their strategy involves establishing ‘shakhas’ in areas predominantly inhabited by Dalits to spread its ideology and connect with the core vote bank of the Bahujan Samaj Party.
In Uttar Pradesh, political parties such as the Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party are adopting caste-based equations to strengthen their political campaigns. In light of the upcoming elections, the RSS has devised a new plan to reach every Nyaya panchayat.
Senior leaders associated with the RSS acknowledge that these areas have not traditionally been strongly connected with the RSS ideology. Hence, the organisation aims to establish branches in each Nyaya panchayat. In areas where setting up shakhas is not feasible, RSS functionaries will convey the RSS ideology to the local community.
“The RSS has formulated a comprehensive strategy to penetrate into Dalit and tribal areas through its various programmes. The strategy is not solely election-oriented but is the part of ongoing efforts to disseminate the RSS ideology among the masses,” a RSS functionary said.
Within the next week, over 2,500 volunteers will be dispatched to various areas as part of an extensive and all-encompassing campaign. Focus will be on Balmiki, Tharu, Kol, Musahar and Jatav communities.
“Over the next week, 2,500 Vistarak Sangh volunteers will be deployed in the Awadh, Kanpur, Kashi, and Gorakhpur regions. These volunteers will engage with people in Terai areas and various locations throughout the state, educating them about the RSS ideology,” the functionary said.
While the RSS claims to keep this process separate from politics before the Lok Sabha elections, political analysts argue that such activism cannot be dissociated from politics during an election year.
Political experts view the RSS strategy as a significant attempt to penetrate the substantial vote bank of the BSP. Manoj Mishra, a political analyst, highlights the BJP’s success in winning over the Jatav community, a key component of Mayawati’s core vote bank, in previous elections. “This trend has dealt a blow to the BSP’s electoral prospects,” he said.
He said that if the BJP gained ground within this community through the RSS, the challenges for the BSP to maintain hold over its vote bank would further increase.
In response, the BSP asserts that it is fully aware of the BJP’s political conspiracy. A senior BSP leader said Mayawati had begun efforts to connect with Dalits and Muslims in response to these developments. Recently, Mayawati criticised BJP governments for demolishing shrines and religious sites in some parts of the country.
“The RSS has embarked on an extensive campaign to expand its presence and connect with Dalit voters in preparation for the Lok Sabha elections. This move has the potential to impact the BSP’s vote bank, thereby intensifying the political competition in the region. As the political landscape continues to evolve, all eyes will be on how these efforts shape the electoral dynamics and alliances in the upcoming elections,” Mishra said.