BJP to enrol 2.5 lakh dalits, Mahadalits
Patna: The state BJP has targeted to enrol at least 2.5 lakh dalits and Mahadalits as its members during the intensive membership drive to be completed by the end of this month.
The national general secretary of the party’s scheduled caste front and also in charge of Bihar affairs of the body, Ramesh Chandra Ratn said on Saturday that 2 lakh dalits and Mahadalits had already been enlisted as the BJP members. “We hope to cross the target of 2.5 lakh,” he said.
Ratn said he toured a few districts, including Patna, Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, Nalanda, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali, during the last few days to assess the response of these sections towards the BJP. MLA Kanhaiya Rajwar and state BJP spokesman Yogendra Paswan were among those who accompanied him.
As it is, the state BJP sees an immense opportunity to mobilize the dalits and Mahadalits in the state in the party’s favour, especially after the replacement of Jitan Ram Manjhi as the state’s CM by Nitish Kumar. Targeting Nitish, Ratn described him as being “anti-dalit and Mahadalit”.
Ratn parried away questions related to BJP’s stance towards Manjhi, now that he had floated a separate forum. He also ducked Manjhi’s observation made in Delhi that the announcement of Bihar BJP support to him to face the trust vote came too late.
Source: The Times of India
