Bhopal: With the upcoming elections in Madhya Pradesh drawing, where 47 out of the 230 Assembly seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs), the Uttar Pradesh BJP is devising a strategy to strengthen its presence in these inhabited areas. To achieve this, the party has planned a series of meetings with caste groups spread across 44 districts of Uttar Pradesh this month.
During the 2018 Assembly elections, the Congress emerged victorious in 30 of the seats reserved for STs, while the BJP secured 16 seats. Additionally, one seat was won by a candidate. This electoral imbalance has caught the attention of the BJP. They are determined to regain their influence in these constituencies.
The BJP’s response comes as a result of outreach efforts by both the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), who are striving to secure support from voters. In a visit to Madhya Pradesh, SP president Akhilesh Yadav made a gesture by sharing a meal at the home of a tribal family in the Rajnagar Assembly constituency emphasizing his party’s dedication to appealing to tribal communities.
On another front, BSP has formed an alliance with the Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP), which represents communities in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. This alliance positions BSP as an advocate, for voices.
This situation has caused worries among the BJP as they are concerned that both the SP and BSP could split their votes, which may have an impact, on the results of the election.