Eye on 2027 UP polls: Congress's 'smart move' to build on Lok Sabha gains

During a recent high-level meeting at the state Congress headquarters in Lucknow, a detailed 15-day action plan was crafted with input from prominent Dalit leaders statewide.

Buoyed by its recent success in regaining a significant portion of its previously secure Dalit voter base in Uttar Pradesh, Congress has embarked on an ambitious outreach campaign aimed at consolidating the support of the community ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.

This comprehensive outreach strategy includes targeted membership drives within the Dalit community, identifying key Dalit influencers in each assembly constituency, and organizing regional “sammelans” and district-level “Dalit chaupals” to address community-specific issues.

“The recent Lok Sabha elections showed that Dalits have shifted away from the BJP, with many supporting the Congress and SP alliance. Congress’s strategy to engage with Dalits through sammelans, chaupals, or similar gatherings is a smart move,” said Rajesh N Bajpyee, a senior journalist and political analyst.

An analysis by CSDS shows that approximately 6% of the Dalit votes have shifted to the INDIA alliance due to the "Save the Constitution" campaign, contributing to the Opposition's success in the elections.

During a recent high-level meeting at the state Congress headquarters in Lucknow, a detailed 15-day action plan was crafted with input from prominent Dalit leaders statewide. Although the program has not been officially announced yet, initial sammelans are planned for Gorakhpur (the stronghold of CM Yogi Adityanath), Lucknow (central UP), Varanasi (PM Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency), and Meerut (western UP).

According to Congress insiders, these initiatives follow directives from the party's high command. "Dalits have historically supported us, but due to some misunderstandings, they distanced themselves over time. In the recent elections, however, they backed us, either due to our commitment to the Constitution or because of Rahul ji," said a senior Congress leader Amarnath Agarwal.

Alok Prasad, head of the UP Congress’s Scheduled Caste (SC) department and vice-president of the UP Pradesh Congress Committee, said that Dalits have shown a confidence on Congress in 2024 Lok Sabha election and responsibility is now on us to build that confidence further.

“Rahul ji and Congress were able to convince them if they vote for BJP, it will bring a change in Constitution,” he said

Prasad emphasized the party's responsibility to reciprocate this support by addressing key issues affecting the Dalit community, such as land disputes, reservation benefits, and scholarship scams. "If the Dalits have taken a step towards us, we must take an extra step towards them," he said.

The party plans to launch a membership drive after the divisional-level 'Dalit sammelans' in Gorakhpur, aiming to enlist at least 1,000 notable Dalit figures from each Assembly segment. Additionally, "Dalit chaupals" will be held fortnightly in Dalit-dominated areas in coordination with district party units.

There are also discussions about assigning new roles to prominent Dalit leaders within the organization to bolster its SC unit at the grassroots level. The outreach campaign will also engage professionals from the Dalit community, including doctors and teachers, to address their specific concerns.

Many observers view the push for Samajwadi Party's Faizabad MP Awadhesh Prasad to be elected as the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker as a strategic move to challenge the ruling BJP, especially after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi underscored Prasad's significance in the House. This move is seen as a message from the INDIA bloc that it is committed to elevating Dalit leaders.

“This also shows a good co-ordination between SP and Congress as both were ready to promote Prasad, a Pasi Dalit, to a top post in Lok Sabha,” Maroof Khan, another Congress leader said.