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BJP Celebrates Hindu Gaurav Diwas To Commemorate Kalyan Singh, 30 Ministers To Be Present, Focus On Lodh Community
Nishtha Anushree
Aug 21, 2023, 01:26 PM | Updated 02:51 PM IST
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On the occasion of the second death anniversary of former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to showcase its full strength through Hindu Gaurav Diwas that is being observed in Singh's home district Aligarh on Monday (21August).
For the program being held in the Numayish Maidan, more than 30 state and central government ministers, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Ministers Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, and State President Bhupendra Chaudhary, are expected to attend.
Approximately 50,000 people from the neighboring districts have been invited to attend. There is a special focus on people from backward communities.
Kalyan Singh's association with the Lodh community, which comes under OBC category, is a well-known fact. Many seats in the state have a considerable Lodh population, where the BJP has a strong foothold.
Although the publicly acknowledged agenda is remembering Kalyan Singh, political observers are seeing it in connection with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This program will reflect the BJP's efforts to unite marginalized groups and present an answer to the opposition.
Furthermore, the event is aimed at enhancing the image of Kalyan Singh, who became a prominent figure of Hindu ideology after the Ram Mandir movement.
After relinquishing power for the Ram Mandir, Kalyan Singh (often referred to as Babu Ji) gained recognition as a significant Hindu leader. Even after his demise on 21 August 2021, the echoes of "Jai Shri Ram" resounded in the crowd paying their last respects.
During the final rites, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath remained present from Lucknow to Atrauli. The first death anniversary was commemorated in Lucknow.
A rally in saffron colors was planned in the city on Monday morning. Additionally, preparations have been made to reach out to people from Kalyan Singh's influential regions.
The BJP continues to receive support from Lodh voters, but the party doesn't want to take any risks for the 2024 elections. Therefore, it is believed that efforts will be made to connect with marginalized groups, as opposition parties are also working to win them over.
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has formulated the PDA formula to unite backward classes, Dalits, and minorities. The BJP's arrangement is expected to be a response to this opposition strategy.
Cabinet ministers including Jai Veer Singh (Tourism and Culture), Baby Rani Maurya (Women's Welfare, Child Development, and Nutrition), Swatantra Dev Singh (Minor Irrigation, Namami Gange, and Rural Water Supply), Kapil Dev Agrawal (Skill Development and Entrepreneurship), Vijay Laxmi Gautam (Rural Development and Integrated Rural Development), Manohar Lal (Labor and Service Schemes), Narendra Keshav (Backward Class Welfare and Divyang Empowerment), Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh (Medical Education and Health), Baldev Singh Aulakh (Agricultural Education and Research), Rajni Tiwari (Higher Education Department), Dinesh Pratap Singh (Horticultural Marketing, Agricultural Foreign Markets, and Agricultural Export), Dr. Arun Kumar Saksena (Forest, Environment, Animal Industry, and Climate Change), and State Government Minister Swatantra Prabhar J.P.S. Rathore, among others, will be present.
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Nishtha Anushree is Senior Sub-editor at Swarajya. She tweets at @nishthaanushree.
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