As the countdown for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections begins, Uttar Pradesh emerges as a battleground for all major political parties, each keen on securing a winning formula. A key focal point is the quest for the support of Muslim and Dalit communities, historically significant vote banks in the state. While opposition parties like Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) work to consolidate these communities, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also making calculated moves to woo minority voters.
Congress Aims for Reunion of Traditional Vote Banks Once the default choice for Dalit and Muslim voters, Congress has been striving to regain its lost ground. To revive its fortunes, the party has launched initiatives such as the ‘Jay Jawahar Jay Bhim’ and ‘Our Constitution, Our Pride’ campaigns. “We are committed to bringing our traditional vote banks back together,” asserted Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari. In a strategic outreach, Muslim leaders of the Congress party are visiting Dalit households to promote unity against a government they say threatens constitutional norms.
BSP Shifts Focus
After a devastating defeat in the 2022 state assembly elections, where it deployed a Brahmin-Dalit electoral strategy, the BSP is now recalibrating its approach. Party leader Mayawati is focusing on a coalition of Dalits, the most backward classes, and Muslims. The party is meticulously executing grassroots campaigns in an attempt to regain its pre-2007 status as the party for these communities.
Samajwadi Party Eyes Dalit Votes
The SP is also aggressively courting Dalits and Muslims. The party has entrusted Swami Prasad Maurya with the mission of consolidating Dalit support. Controversial statements made by Maurya on Hinduism and Brahminism are perceived as strategic moves to attract Dalit voters. Akhilesh Yadav, the SP leader, is keeping his finger on the pulse of the Muslim community, recently holding confidential meetings with retired IPS, IAS, and Muslim justices to gauge their electoral inclinations.
BJP’s Dual Strategy
The BJP, meanwhile, is widening its net by pursuing both Hindu and Muslim voters. Recent by-elections in the state have shown that the party can secure victory even in Muslim-majority constituencies, reinforcing its belief in a flexible electoral strategy. The BJP’s wins in Rampur and Azamgarh indicate that the party could potentially overcome any splits in the Muslim vote bank.
Key Community to Watch
Ultimately, the political loyalties of the Muslim community, often regarded as voting en bloc, could be a game-changer in the 2024 general elections in Uttar Pradesh. All parties are acutely aware of this, which explains the frenzied scramble to secure the Muslim-Dalit alliance.
In this intricate game of electoral chess, the stakes are high, and the manoeuvres complex. With Muslim and Dalit communities comprising 42% of the state’s population, their united voting power could significantly sway the electoral outcome.
It’s an unfolding drama that promises to keep all parties on their toes as they jockey for position in the high-stakes 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
