Lucknow: Alarmed with the shifting of Dalit votes to Samajwadi Party during the recently held by elections of Ghosi assembly seat, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has decided to increase penetration in this community. The party has decided to enroll active workers as NAMO Mitra in every assembly segment who would work among Dalit community. As per plans 100 workers in each of the 403 assembly segments of UP would be enrolled as NAMO Mitra.
Large number of dalit voters defected to Samajwadi Party camp
It may be mentioned that in the Ghosi assembly by elections, a large number of Dalit voters had opted for Samajwadi Party in the absence of a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate. While BJP was expecting Dalit community to vote for it, results and shift of electorates has surprised it. In the assembly polls of 2022 the BJP had managed to get a sizable chunk of Dalit votes and was expecting it to rise in days to come. The party was banking on its free ration scheme and welfare works done for the Dalit community.
NAMO Mitra
According to a senior BJP leader in UP, the Ghosi results have been an eye-opener for the party which has now decided to focus on Dalit votes. The party would now activate its Dalit leader and enroll new members from this community as NAMO Mitra. These NAMO Mitras would work in the Dalit community only and apprise them about the works done by the BJP Governments at centre and in the state. The BJP MPs, legislators, Ministers belonging to Dalit community would be asked to visit areas dominated by voters of their caste on a regular interval. To penetrate among Dalit youths the BJP has decided to organize felicitation ceremonies of talented students of this community.
Besides, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) too has chalked out an elaborate programme to reach out among Dalit community members. The Sangh has decided to send its whole time workers in Dalit dominated areas for work. These whole time workers have been asked to organise community feasts in the localities dominated by Dalit, Tribal and Nomads. The Sangh has recently trained a battery of workers under its centenary celebrations workshops, who would not increase penetration among Dalit community.
