New Delhi: OBC chief Om Prakash Rajbhar’s entry into the BJP’s camp underscores the ruling get together’s assiduous efforts to bolster its presence amongst deprived castes within the Hindi heartland at a time when the Opposition has seized on a bunch of points, together with OBC census, to nook it within the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. With the principle opposition get together Congress becoming a member of a number of regional events to push for caste census as a part of wider efforts to extend the OBC reservation and undertaking the BJP as inimical to their pursuits, the ruling get together has been making sharp counter-moves.
The central authorities has thus far maintained a studied silence on the demand for a census of Other Backward Classes, who’re the most important voting bloc and have proven in polling cubicles an growing choice for the ruling get together underneath Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014.
A number of leaders representing smaller events and recognized largely with a selected backward or Dalit caste have gravitated, largely from the Opposition, to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in latest months because the ruling get together bolsters a flank the place it has gave the impression to be susceptible at instances.
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In Uttar Pradesh, which has been a BJP stronghold since 2014, Rajbhar joins OBC leaders like Sanjay Nishad, who enjoys affect amongst boatmen and fishermen communities, and Union minister Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal (Soneylal), a celebration with assist largely amongst backward Kurmis.
श्री @oprajbhar जी से दिल्ली में भेंट हुई और उन्होंने प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी के नेतृत्व वाले NDA गठबंधन में आने का निर्णय लिया। मैं उनका NDA परिवार में स्वागत करता हूँ।
राजभर जी के आने से उत्तर प्रदेश में एनडीए को मजबूती मिलेगी और मोदी जी के नेतृत्व में एनडीए द्वारा… pic.twitter.com/uLnbgJedbF
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 16, 2023
While Nishad had aligned his ‘Nishad’ get together with the BJP forward of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Patel has been a BJP ally since 2014.
In neighbouring Bihar, Kushwaha chief Upendra Kushwaha and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, whose Manjhi group is a part of Dalits, have left the RJD-JD(U)-Congress-Left alliance.
Manjhi has already joined the NDA whereas Kushwaha has additionally had a number of conferences with senior BJP leaders. The BJP can be making decided efforts to convey Chirag Paswan, whose Lok Janshakti Party (R) enjoys the assist of Paswans, probably the most quite a few Dalit group in Bihar, again into its camp.
While the BJP has been a surpassingly dominant political power in UP since Modi led the get together to its maiden Lok Sabha majority in 2014, the Samajwadi Party managed to dent it within the ‘poorvanchal’ area by aligning with the likes of Rajbhar and a rival faction of Apna Dal within the 2022 meeting polls.
Some OBC leaders from the BJP, together with Dara Singh Chauhan, had defected to the SP to spice up its outreach to non-Yadav backwards and Chauhan’s choice to stop as an MLA and certain return to his former get together marks one more setback to the disjointed Opposition within the essential state.
The SP-RLD alliance within the western UP had succeeded to some extent in dividing the Jat votes in 2022 and the hypothesis in regards to the BJP wooing Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Singh to its fold underscores the get together’s seriousness in hitting the goal of successful all 80 Lok Sabha seats within the state.
The BJP had received 62 seats in 2019 whereas its ally Apna Dal received two. In Bihar, the opposition alliance is seen as extra formidable than in Uttar Pradesh.
However, BJP leaders are of the view that by getting leaders of smaller events linked to varied backward and Dalit castes to their facet, they’ll current the NDA as an umbrella alliance extra socially consultant than their two primary rivals, Lalu Prasad Yadav-led RJD and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JD(U).
The identical opposition alliance had handed over a drubbing to the BJP-led bloc within the 2015 meeting polls.
While Yadavs, probably the most populous and dominant backward caste, have been a robust supporter of the SP in UP and the RJD in Bihar, particularly in meeting polls, the BJP has succeeded – by weaving collectively dozens of smaller backward castes – in capturing a big OBC vote financial institution, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.
Political consultants are of the view that enthused by the Congress win in Karnataka, the place OBC chief Siddharamaiah has taken over as chief minister, the principle opposition get together and its allies will amp up their marketing campaign among the many deprived courses on the again of demand for caste census and promise of heightened welfare measures.
With the BJP decided to take care of and additional increase its footprints amongst these communities, the ruling get together is anticipated to accentuate its outreach to them because the marketing campaign for the nationwide elections heats up.
The BJP has put in place a nationwide marketing campaign in its bid to win a majority within the 543-member Lok Sabha underneath Modi for a 3rd time.
