The Hindu : New Delhi News : Congress firming up strategy to counter BSP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 27, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

New Delhi

New Delhi

Congress firming up strategy to counter BSP

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

With close to 25 lakh Dalit voters in Delhi, the stakes are huge

Congress leaders are desperate to ensure that their supporters stay with them
Many Congress leaders acknowledge that the BSP has a significant following

NEW DELHI: Realising the threat posed by the Bahujan Samaj Party in splitting the Dalit vote in Delhi that traditionally used to go to the Congress, a number of party leaders in the Capital have started preparations to launch a counter-offensive on Mayawati’s party by accusing it of betraying the interests of weaker sections of society.

With close to 25 lakh Dalit voters in Delhi, the stakes are huge for all the political parties. While for the Congress it is a matter of retaining a traditional vote bank that appears to be slipping away, for the BSP it is all about establishing a major presence in the national Capital.

As for the Bharatiya Janata Party, while its leaders at present are happy with the development as a shift in the Congress vote could provide it the coveted “throne” of Delhi, they also realise that in the longer run the BSP is a force to reckon with as it is known to retain its vote banks.

The Congress leaders are desperate to ensure in the first place that their supporters stay with them.

To begin with, says Delhi Development Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan, people would be told that the Congress has always worked for the uplift of the Dalits. Mentioning his own case, he said, “The party has entrusted me with the maximum number of portfolios.”

On the other hand, Mr. Chauhan said, the BSP had been exposed by its own 17 councillors who were elected last year. “They had paid for the BSP election tickets and now they charge money for everything and then this extorted money is spent on birthdays and other party celebrations. The people of Delhi will never vote for them again.”

“Delhi has a cosmopolitan culture and people here would vote for the Congress because of the development it has provided. As for the BSP, its role would be neutral as it would also harm the BJP by cutting into its votes as a number of party dissidents would join it or have already joined it,” he added.

All-India Congress Committee secretary and Delhi MLA Jai Kishan insists that while “it is the Dalits who have made the BSP what it is today, the party has not done anything for the community”.

“Dalit leaders are not trusted by the party. They are not allowed to address rallies and the Dalit Act has been ended by the party in Uttar Pradesh. All these actions go against the interests of the Dalits, and we would inform people about them here,” he said.

He is also planning to raise the issue of the BSP scuttling a students’ movement of the Dalits and doing away with the Babasaheb Ambedkar Park in Lucknow and converting it into a Kanshi Ram Park. “This is an affront to the Dalits and we will not tolerate it,” said Mr. Jai Kishan.

He said the role of the BJP and the BSP in Parliament joining hands to vote against the nuclear deal would also be “exposed”, adding, “These parties had in 1997 also jointly worked to repeal the Dalit Act and to ban caste certificates in U.P.”

Many Congress leaders acknowledge that the BSP has a significant following among people belonging to the Ravidas Jatav sub-caste, which is considered among the most backward.

“Their grip on this sub-caste, which has the maximum strength in Delhi after the Valmikis, is definitely a cause of concern. More so because a large number of Delhi Congress MLAs belong to it and now they are the most at risk,” the leader said.

However, some within the Congress feel that since the Jatavs have traditionally never been with the Congress and several other sub-castes like Valmikis, Khatiks, Dhanuks, Banjaras, Bairwas and Gera continue to back the party, it does not have to fear the BSP too much.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi