With 10-20 Events In Each District, BJP Plans OBC Outreach In Uttar Pradesh To Counter Congress' Caste Survey Promise

Ahead of the Lok Sabha poll campaign, the BJP in Uttar Pradesh is preparing to counter the Opposition's likely demand for a caste survey by launching an extensive outreach to castes and sub-castes within the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category across all 75 districts of the state.

According to a BJP official involved in the initiative, who was quoted by The Indian Express, the strategy involves connecting with at least 250 leaders or workers in OBC communities with over 20,000 voters in each district.

The plan aims to identify five social workers from these communities to organise "Samajik Sammelans" (social gatherings) addressing the specific concerns of each community.

With 79 registered OBC castes, the BJP intends to reach out to a majority of them individually, focusing on the prevalent castes in each district based on Vidhan Sabha-wise data.

The micro-level OBC Sammelans are scheduled to begin in February, with the goal of organising 10 to 20 such events in each district. Through these gatherings, the BJP aims to address the issues and concerns of OBC communities, as well as raise awareness about applicable welfare schemes.

Narendra Kashyap, state president of BJP OBC Morcha, stated that the extensive program would cover all 403 Vidhan Sabha constituencies, with both individual Assembly segment sammelans and larger district-level OBC Sammelans planned. The events will focus on addressing the specific problems and concerns of each prominent caste.

The BJP's OBC wing will also commemorate the anniversaries of notable OBC icons as part of this initiative. With 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, the party is keen on retaining its stronghold in the state, particularly given the significant role played by OBC votes in the electoral outcome.

The party's increased efforts to engage with OBCs follow its loss in the Ghosi Assembly bypoll in September, where the BJP candidate from the OBC community was defeated by a non-OBC candidate from the Samajwadi Party.

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