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BJP eyeing 138 SC/ST seats in Rajasthan, launches special campaign
The Dalits and tribals together account for about 31% of Rajasthan’s population and wield considerable political influence.
Eyeing the upcoming Assembly polls in Rajasthan and next year’s general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a special campaign to reach out to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Schedules Tribes (ST) voters on 138 seats, where they hold influence.
Of the 200 Assembly seats in Rajasthan, 34 are SC reserved, while 25 are reserved for ST and of 25 Lok Sabha seats, seven are reserved for SC/ST.
The Dalits and tribals together account for about 31% of Rajasthan’s population and wield considerable political influence. While the Dalits account for 17.8% of the state’s population, tribals make up 13.5%, as per the 2011 census.
The BJP has launched a month-long special drive to connect with voters in those reserved seats and other seats where they are predominant. The party is also taking feedback on the kind of schemes these communities want, so they can be tailor-made for them in future.
KC Meena, state in-charge of the ST Samajik Sampark Abhiyan, said the BJP’s target is to reach 500,000 SC households and 400,000 ST households during the campaign that will continue till month end.
Dr Bhajanlal Rolan, state in-charge of the SC Samajik Sampark Abhiyan, said the BJP wants to reach out to the maximum number of voters through this campaign.
In the 2013 assembly polls, the BJP won 32 SC seats. In 2018, however, it could only grab 12 seats while the Congress won 19 and three went to independents.
Similarly, in 2013, the BJP won 18 of the ST seats. But it won only nine of the 25 ST reserved seats in 2018, while the Congress bagged 16.
However, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the SC and ST voters largely supported the BJP which won all 25 seats.
Apart from the 34 reserved seats, there are another 53 seats where the population of SC voters is above 20%, said Dr Rolan.
“The Congress has spread the canard that SCs are traditionally their voters. We believe the SC voter is not tied to any party. They are voting on issues. Whoever can convince them on issues, will vote for them. So, our effort is to reach the maximum number of voters and tell them about the welfare schemes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Dalits,” he said.
During their campaign, the team members will interact with the people and will make them aware of the Centre’s welfare schemes for the SC and ST.
The party workers will also highlight the failures of the Congress government under chief minister Ashok Gehlot and the poor law and order situation, atrocities against women, Dalits and tribals, issues of scarcity of water, electricity, health and education facilities and discrimination against the SCs and STs in state government schemes, said Meena.
Meena said there are 25 seats reserved for ST and another 26 on which there are more than 20%, these seats are mainly in the southern and eastern parts of Rajasthan.
For the campaign, BJP has formed a five-member team who are working specifically on the 89 SC/ST seats. The teams comprise one convenor, two party workers and two workers from the Mandal, where the team is visiting, said Meena.
He added that these teams have been allotted specific areas to approach the voters directly. The teams have been tasked with visiting 100-150 homes per day in their areas.
The teams will take feedback about the benefits the people have received through the various schemes of the government and further what more is needed and the areas that the government should focus on.
The survey data will be used by the government to address any problems and to remodel and bring in new schemes, said Meena.
The 2023 Rajasthan state election is scheduled for November to elect all 200 members of the state’s Legislative Assembly.
