Cong Engaging Minority, Underserved Communities with an Eye on LS Polls

Party leaders emphasized the numerous outreach programs being held, such as tea stall meetings and Dalit-Muslim “sammelans,” to win back its “traditional voters,” saying that the Congress in Uttar Pradesh is persistently working to enlist members of minority and backward communities.

Before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, campaigning are underway in Uttar Pradesh, a crucial state politically. The Congress is now just a minor participant in the state. In the 403 member Uttar Pradesh assembly election held last year, the party could only gain two seats, losing to the BJP’s 255 and the Samajwadi Party’s 111.

According to feedback from these efforts, a significant portion of minorities and members of the underprivileged classes believe the current (BJP) administration should be overthrown, according to P L Punia, a senior member of the Congress and a former head of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.

Additionally, he said that only the Congress, which is present across all of India, can do this.

Shahnawaz Alam, head of the Uttar Pradesh Congress’ minority department, told PTI that “Special efforts are being made to work among Dalits and minorities, and programs for the same are being organized on a regular basis.”

In 3,000 Muslim-dominated villages, a 10-day special campaign called “aap ki party aap ke gaon” was organized in May of this year. Small meetings were conducted during this time, and party flags were placed on 10 homes in each hamlet, according to Shahnawaz. He said that minorities in western Uttar Pradesh “have already made up their minds in favor of the Congress.”

“We also engaged the Dalit community by hosting discussions on the Constitution as part of the program’samvidhan pe charcha’ at tea shops. We visited 3,000 tea shops, telling Dalits that Muslims were going back to the Congress because they were unhappy with the current administration, and that Dalits should follow suit.

Such programs, according to him, are now running across the state. In addition, a campaign would run from August 1–8, according to Shahnawaz, who also noted that “Dalit-Muslim ekta iftars” were held in all districts on April 14 in observance of Ramadan.

He said that the party’s backward class cell, which is hosting divisional level programs, makes comparable efforts. “Every month we are directly reporting about our programmes to Congress’ UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and also getting feedback and instructions,” he said.

Alok Prasad, the state Congress’s officer in charge of the SC/ST department, said that “Samvidhan rakshaks” are being hired in gram sabhas to draw attention to how the government is eliminating special privileges like reservation guaranteed to them by the Constitution. He said that Dalits are the most oppressed under the current administration since no one is speaking up for them, and anytime examples of atrocities against Dalits have surfaced, Congress has been at the fore in fighting front their rights.

He said that minority-Dalit sammelans and “mahasammelans” of the Dalit and backward classes are being organized in various areas, but that Dalit leaders like BSP leader Mayawati have stayed mute.

Anshu Awasthi, a spokeswoman for the Congress, said that the party is in direct communication with people from underrepresented groups and minorities.

This time, there is a noticeable shift in the trend, and people are generally exhibiting a preference for the Congress since all other parties that had previously claimed to serve them have fallen short, and people are now aware of this, according to Awasthi.

The traditional base of support for the Congress has realized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi only works for a select group of people. Not just Muslims, but OBCs and Dalits also believe he should go, and as for the Parliament, they believe Congress has to be supported, according to Punia.