Lucknow: Amid the ongoing fight among major political parties for backward class votes, the Congress too appears to have focused on wooing the OBCs in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Senior Congress leaders assert that the party has been making consistent efforts to woo the backward classes and raising the demand for caste census. It, however, proposes to focus more on this programme ahead of the 2024 polls.
“The Congress does not lag in efforts to woo the OBCs. We have been making sincere efforts. The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee has been holding divisional and district level conventions in the past few weeks and we are going to intensify our efforts further,” said UPCC president Brijlal Khabri.
Those aware of the developments said the UPCC had begun efforts to woo the backward classes with its first convention organised at UPCC headquarters, Lucknow on the death anniversary of Chandrajit Yadav on May 25 this year. The UPCC held the divisional convention of Agra at Mathura on June 15,. It has now begun holding district conventions.
“We began with our first divisional convention at Mathura (Agra division) and have covered 14 of 18 divisions so far. We will soon hold conventions in four remaining divisions that include Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Chitrakoot and Moradabad. District conventions have already started and the divisions already covered are being tasked to hold the district conventions. We are getting a good response from the people. We are going to take this programme to people at grassroots level,” said UPCC organisation secretary Anil Yadav.
{{/usCountry}}“We began with our first divisional convention at Mathura (Agra division) and have covered 14 of 18 divisions so far. We will soon hold conventions in four remaining divisions that include Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Chitrakoot and Moradabad. District conventions have already started and the divisions already covered are being tasked to hold the district conventions. We are getting a good response from the people. We are going to take this programme to people at grassroots level,” said UPCC organisation secretary Anil Yadav.
{{/usCountry}}Yadav said the Congress initiated the backward class conventions to dispel the impression that the party was anti-backwards. “We brief the people about the Congress’ initiatives. Those belonging to the most backward classes are coming to our fold. We have taken this as a mission. The people are convinced about our point of view. Out of four Congress chief ministers, three are from the backward castes,” said Yadav.
He said a pamphlet that the Congress has brought out listing initiatives for the backward classes was being distributed at these conventions. The Congress’ initiatives include Indira Gandhi government’s decision to cooperate and give extensions to the Mandal Commission and reservation for backward classes and the women in the local bodies. The Congress’ pamphlet also lists senior party leader Rahul Gandhi’s support to the issue of caste census and resolve to increase the quota for the backward classes. It further points out that the RSS and the BJP have been opposed to social justice and reservation for the backward classes.