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Rajasthan CM attends cluster meeting in UP to woo Brahmin voters
The Brahmin vote is decisive in deciding the fate of candidates on the five seats that have sizeable upper caste voters. In 2019 LS polls, BJP bagged all five seats and was working to retain these in the upcoming polls
LUCKNOW With an aim to consolidate hold over upper caste Brahmin voters ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Rajasthan chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma addressed BJP workers of five Lok Sabha seats, including Sitapur, Misrikh, Dhaurahara, Lakhimpur and Hardoi, at a cluster meeting in Naimisharanya (Sitapur district) on Friday.
He launched an attack on the Congress, accusing it of stalling UP’s development and “leading a corrupt government” in the past. Highlighting the achievements of the BJP government, he said Article 370 had been removed, Ram temple had been constructed, series of development projects were launched, and welfare schemes had been launched for the masses.
Later, Sharma met religious leaders and attended a meeting of intellectuals.
The Brahmin vote is decisive in deciding the fate of candidates on the five seats that have sizeable upper caste voters. In the 2019 LS elections, the BJP bagged all five seats and was working to retain these in the upcoming polls.
The five seats also have a sizeable OBC-Kurmi and Dalit-Pasi community voters. In the 2014 and 2019 LS polls as well as assembly elections 2017 and 2022, working on the upper caste OBC and Dalit formula, the BJP bagged majority of the LS and assembly seats in the region.
Minister of state (ministry of home affairs) Ajay Mishra represents the Kheri seat in Lok Sabha, Rekha Verma is sitting BJP MP from Dhaurahara, Kurmi leader Rajesh Verma is MP from Sitapur seat, Ashok Kumar Rawat is from Sitapur and Jai Prakash is BJP MP from Hardoi LS seat.
Earlier, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav had addressed a cluster meeting in the five Lok Sabha seats - Azamgarh, Lalganj, Ghosi, Salempur and Ballia on February 14 in Azamgarh.
The BJP had failed to open its account in Azamgarh in 2022 assembly pollls. The saffron brigade faced defeat on Azamgarh, Ghosi and Lalganj seats in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP won the Azamgarh seat in the bypoll, but was working to make inroads into Yadav community voters. Party strategists hoped that riding on the influence of Mohan Yadav among backward community voters, the party will be able retain the seat in the upcoming LS election.
The BJP had set a target of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh and the party is mobilizing its leaders and resources to win the seats, said a BJP leader.
