Major steps of BJP: In a significant move to counter the opposition’s attempt to project the BJP as detrimental to the cause of OBCs in the Hindi heartland, the saffron party on Sunday (July) inducted Om Prakash Rajbhar, a prominent leader of the community, into its fold. Involved. 16).
The opposition has pushed for several issues, including the OBC census, to corner the BJP government ahead of the 2024 general elections. The Congress joined several regional parties in pushing for the caste census as part of a wider effort to increase OBC reservation, however, with Rajbhar now a part of the NDA, the BJP seems to be taking a step on the frontfoot. Next year’s crucial Lok Sabha elections.
While the opposition is looking for unity among various political parties with different ideologies and political stances with the aim of ousting the Narendra Modi government from power at the Center in 2024, the BJP also seems to be playing its cards.
Rajbhar’s entry in NDA
The first example of the saffron party’s strategy can be seen in Maharashtra, where NCP veteran Ajit Pawar split in the party led by his uncle and veteran leader Sharad Pawar and joined the Maharashtra government. The second example, the latest, is from Uttar Pradesh where Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief OP Rajbhar defected to the opposition camp and rejoined the NDA.
Uttar Pradesh with 80 parliamentary constituencies has been a BJP bastion since 2014. Rajbhar is among the leaders in the state who have influence among the boatmen and fishermen communities, while Apna Dal (Sonelal) is already part of the NDA along with Anupriya. Patel is a Union Minister. His party is said to have the support of mostly backward Kurmis.
The Center is still silent on the demand for census of OBCs.
Many leaders representing smaller parties and mostly belonging to a particular backward or Dalit caste have crossed over in recent months, mostly from the opposition, to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, as the ruling party consolidated a is where it appears to be weak. Sometimes.
BJP’s plan in Bihar
In the politically fractious state of Bihar, where the BJP aims to win all Lok Sabha seats next year, despite losing its ally Nitish Kumar, who bypassed the saffron party, rejoined the grand alliance last year.
Kushwaha leader Upendra Kushwaha and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, whose Manjhi community is part of the Dalits, have quit the RJD-JD(U)-Congress-Left alliance.
Manjhi has already extended his support to the NDA while Kushwaha has also held several meetings with BJP leaders.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, who also expressed his willingness to be a part of the NDA, on the condition that Pashupati Paras is not part of the alliance, has also been invited to the NDA meeting in Delhi in July. 18. BJP is trying to bring Chirag back to its fold.
However, the Samajwadi Party has been able to penetrate the dominant political force it has remained in Uttar Pradesh since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s victory in 2014. Akhilesh Yadav forged an alliance with the rival faction of Rajbhar and Apna Dal in the 2022 assembly elections.
Some of the BJP’s OBC leaders, including Dara Singh Chouhan, had joined the SP to increase its outreach to non-Yadav backward castes, and Chouhan’s decision to quit as an MLA and possibly return to his former party is another blow to the disaffected opposition. critical stage.
In western UP, the SP-RLD alliance tasted some success in 2022 in splitting the Jat vote. There is speculation that the BJP is trying to woo Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Singh to join the NDA, underscoring the saffron party’s strength. Confident of winning all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP had won 62 seats in 2019 while its ally Apna Dal won two seats.
However, the alliance of RJD, Congress, JD(U) and Left parties is considered to be a stronger alliance in Bihar than in Uttar Pradesh.
In addition, BJP leaders believe that by roping in leaders from smaller parties belonging to various backward and Dalit castes, they can make the NDA socially more powerful than its two main rivals, the one led by Lalu Prasad Yadav. More representatives can present in the form of alliance. RJD and JD(U) led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a meeting with all opposition leaders at his residence on June 23 to bring all parties against the BJP on one platform and chalk out a strategy to counter the BJP. . Leaders of more than 15 political parties participated in it.
In response, the BJP is going all out in its endeavor to return to power for a third consecutive term in the 2024 elections, which promise to see a vigorous campaign.
(with PTI inputs)
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