Express News Service
LUCKNOW: With the political activities intensifying in Hindi heartland ahead of 2022 Uttar Pradesh electoral battle as parties gear up in their own camps to stop the saffron juggernaut, the ruling BJP is reaching out to different sections of voters in the run up to the Assembly polls early next year.
The ruling party in Uttar Pradesh, BJP, is all set to launch its mega outreach programme to woo the OBC communities on October 8, coinciding with the festival of Navratri.
The campaign to reach out to the OBCs, who have supported the BJP during the past three elelctions – 2014, 2017 and 2019 – will continue till Diwali. The party has decided to focus on sub-castes of the OBCs beside holding 202 mega rallies in the OBC pockets across the state.
According to BJP’s state OBC Morcha chief Narendra Kashyap, total 202 rallies would be organised focusing on the OBCs. During the outreach programme, the OBC voters would be sensitized about the state government’s achievements and party policy for their welfare. “These rallies will be organised in the third leg of the outreach programme,” Kashyap said.
The first phase of campaign, commencing on October 8, would witness conferences for communities like Saini, Kashyap, Yadav, Vishwakarna, Rajbhar etc.
Organised by the OBC Morcha, around 15 to 20 community-specific conferences would be held during the campaign. Locations have also been identified in Lucknow for the conferences. “CM Yogi Adiyanath and deputy CMs, along with other senior BJP leaders, will be present at these conferences,” Kashyap added.
Explaining about the second phase of the outreach, Kashyap said meetings would be arranged in 98 assembly seats with leaders of different communities. Total 202 public rallies will make up the third phase. One rally would be held to cover two assembly segments. The strength of the UP assembly is 403.
However, an added fourth phase would see the launch of a robust membership drive by the BJP OBC Morcha. Central leaders Dharmendra Pradhan and Bhupendra Yadav are also expected to be present for the programmes.
However, the recent expansion of Yogi cabinet was also a reflection of party’s intent to reach out to the OBCs ahead of the 2022 trail as of the seven new ministers sworn in, three belonged to OBC. The others included a Brahmin, two leaders from Scheduled Castes and one from the Scheduled Tribes.
The new composition of the cabinet reflects recent change in voting patterns wherein OBC voters are believed to be gravitating towards the BJP from the BSP and the SP folds.
The BJP’s trajectory has been on the rise since 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The party did well in the state in the 2017 assembly elections by winning with a mammoth majority bagging 312 of 403 seats.
Similarly, in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party put up an impressive show despite the grand alliance stitched between the sworn rivals — BSP and SP – who could not take the alliance till the ground level and failed deliver the expected results.
