Deputy CM Bhatti calls for struggle to protect self-respect of Dalits
Vikramarka also criticised the action taken against Rahul Gandhi when he protested demanding registration of an FIR over the incident involving Kharge. HYDERABAD: Condemning the alleged insult to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Tuesday called for a united nationwide struggle to protect the self-respect of Dalits and Adivasis. Addressing a Dalit-Adivasi Self-Respect Conference organised by the Congress SC and ST MPs Forum in New Delhi, he said it was the responsibility of every citizen to protect the Constitution that established the values of equality, liberty, fraternity and the abolition of untouchability in the country. He recalled that the first resolution against untouchability was adopted under the leadership of the Congress, followed by the adoption and implementation of the Constitution. Vikramarka alleged that the BJP does not have faith in the Constitution. He criticised what he described as attempts to promote the ideology associated with the Manusmriti and Manu Dharma Shastra in place of constitutional values. “The Indian Constitution is what binds every citizen of the country together. Violating the Constitution means weakening the very foundations of the nation,” he said. He said that the “purification ritual” conducted in Haldwani following Kharge’s public meeting was a serious issue concerning the self-respect of Dalits. Vikramarka also criticised the action taken against Rahul Gandhi when he protested demanding registration of an FIR over the incident involving Kharge. He said that instead of taking action against those responsible, a case was filed against Rahul Gandhi. Stating that governments have a responsibility to implement the constitutional guarantees that ensure equal rights and dignity for all citizens, he said: “We cannot accept a situation where crores of people, including SCs, Adivasis and minorities, are treated as second-class citizens. We must all come together and fight for our self-respect.” Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul Gandhi backs Gen Z protests: ‘Stop punishing women for crimes against them’
NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday backed the ongoing student-led protests over women’s safety, accusing the government of responding to violence against women by restricting their movement instead of making public spaces safer. His remarks came amid renewed protests in Delhi following the alleged gangrape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park in south Delhi. Hundreds of students, many of them women, have taken to the streets over the past week demanding safer public spaces, stronger policing and greater accountability. “Stop punishing women for the crimes committed against them,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X. — RahulGandhi (@RahulGandhi) “Across our country, women are afraid to walk the streets, afraid of being harassed, afraid of being raped. And the government’s answer: stay at home,” he said. Rahul Gandhi argued that asking women to restrict their movement amounted to victim-blaming instead of addressing the conditions that make public spaces unsafe. “This is patriarchy at work: a system that blames the victim and shields the criminal. It is time to smash it,” he said. The Congress leader said the focus should instead be on making streets safer, challenging attitudes that enable violence against women and ensuring swift punishment for offenders. “The solution is not to lock women inside. It is to make our streets safe, to confront the mindset of men who mistreat women, and to punish those who attack them, swiftly and without exception,” the Congress leader said. Protests over the Aastha Kunj case have grown across Delhi University. Students from institutions including Lady Shri Ram College, Miranda House, Gargi College and BR Ambedkar University have participated in demonstrations, raising concerns over harassment, poorly lit streets and restrictions imposed on women because of safety fears. The issue has also reached the Supreme Court. On Monday, the court questioned the Delhi government and police over recent crimes against women and girls in the national capital and sought accountability over what it described as failures in ensuring public safety. Rahul Gandhi urged more young people, particularly women from Gen Z, to join peaceful protests. “Thousands of students and young people are on the streets demanding safety for women. I urge even more young women, especially GenZ across India to come out in stronger numbers,” he said. “This government is deaf to your pain and will only listen when it’s under pressure. Peaceful protest is your democratic right, and I stand with you wholeheartedly,” he added. Creative placards and slogans such as “Abort Patriarchy”, “My favourite season is FALL of patriarchy”, “Bas bohot ho gaya” (enough is enough), and “Bade bade shehron mein aisi chhoti soch nahi chalegi” (such a narrow mindset will not work in big cities) stood out as protesters marched through the campus amid heavy police presence. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Not just CEC, PM Modi and Shah should also resign for ‘vote chori’, says CWC
NEW DELHI: Raising the stakes in the ongoing controversy over special intensive revision (SIR) of poll rolls, the Congress Working Committee on Tuesday demanded that PM Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah resign on moral grounds, accusing them of being orchestrators of ‘vote chori’ through CEC Gyanesh Kumar. CWC, chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, also demanded the CEC’s resignation, a halt to the SIR process, and restoration of over 13 crore voters deleted from the rolls.The meeting saw LoP Rahul Gandhi take the lead in arguing that the country now believes what the party and he had been saying for over two years: that the electoral rolls and EVMs were compromised by EC. He lamented that there were “non-believers” in Congress even when evidence was given about “vote chori”. Referring to a meeting involving him, PM Modi and Shah, Rahul said the PM told him that after they lose, the Congress government will come in. Rahul had questioned how some appointments were being made despite his opposition, to which the PM had said Indira Gandhi also did that. Rahul said he had replied that Indira was voted out, after which PM Modi made the remark that Congress would follow BJP to office. Sources described the remark’s context as Rahul’s bid to rally non-believers within by mentioning that even the “BJP mascot” believes Congress will come to office. Rahul is learnt to have said the “big fishes” (PM Modi and Shah) know they are going to lose in future. He said that while there are questions about the 2014 and 2019 elections, the 2024 LS polls were unambiguously “match-fixed”, and termed PM Modi as the “illegal PM”. He repeatedly stressed “resistance” against the government. Putting Rahul’s imprimatur on exposing “vote chori”, the CWC resolution, read to the media by KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, noted, “what began as one man’s solitary warning is now a national demand for transparency and accountability”. CWC stopped short of deciding an action plan, leaving it to the INDIA bloc, which will meet Wednesday. CWC meeting was attended by Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sachin Pilot, Shashi Tharoor, Abhishek Singhvi, Manish Tewari, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Jitendra Singh, Prakash Joshi, CMs DK Shivakumar, Sukhwinder Sukhu, VD Satheesan, and Revanth Reddy, among others. Many CWC members and the four CMs are learnt to have argued that agitation in Delhi is important to having an impact. Kharge said, “Like in British times, Congress again has to shoulder the responsibility… we snatched the right to vote from the British and now fight to save that right.” When Tharoor said the party should support the CJP agitation called on Oct 2, Kharge caustically asked the Keralam MP if he would be seen only in newspapers and on TV, or would join the street battle against the EC. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit Funds a paper game or reality? BJP attacks Congress in Telangana, demands a white paper
The BJP SC Morcha has directly attacked the Congress government in Telangana for neglecting the Dalit Welfare Fund and election promises, demanding a white paper on the fund’s expenditure. Politics has heated up in Telangana over the issue of Dalit welfare. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Scheduled Caste (SC) Morcha has threatened to surround SC Corporation offices in all districts on Tuesday, calling the Congress government’s policies anti-Dalit. The organization directly alleges that the state government has completely failed to fulfill its election promises. It has also strongly demanded the release of a white paper on the use of funds allocated for Dalit development. SC Morcha State President Kanthi Kiran has launched a scathing attack on the state government. He alleged that the government is ignoring the welfare of Dalits and diverting their share of funds elsewhere. According to Kiran, the Congress government is falsely claiming Dalit development by juggling figures on paper. The ground reality is that unemployed Dalit youth are not receiving any concrete benefits and are still forced to wander in search of employment. Kanthi Kiran attacked the government, citing statements made by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka in the Assembly. He reminded that the government had claimed to allocate approximately ₹1.20 lakh crore under the Scheduled Caste Special Development Fund (SCSDF) during the financial years 2024, 2025, and 2026. This amount amounts to approximately ₹40,000 crore each year. However, the BJP leader said that this huge amount is not visible anywhere on the ground improving the lives of people. Caste and Identity Groups Serious questions were also raised regarding the Congress’s famous Chevella Declaration. This manifesto promised financial assistance of ₹12 lakh to every Dalit family. Kiran claimed that approximately 500,000 applications have been received so far under the ‘Rajiv Yuva Vikasam’ self-employment scheme. Despite receiving such a large number of applications, not a single one has been approved, nor has the scheme been properly implemented. Questioning the transparency of the administration, the BJP leader stated that three RTI applications were filed with the Hyderabad District SC Corporation and the District Collectors. Despite this, the government has failed to provide details of expenditure, raising serious doubts. He demanded that the proposed white paper provide a complete breakdown of department-wise allocations from the SC Development Fund. The actual expenditure and the exact number of beneficiaries receiving benefits under self-employment schemes should also be made public. Meanwhile, Telangana politics has heated up over a rally against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). Several prominent leaders, including BJP spokesperson N.V. Subhash, Vice President B. Narsaiah Goud, and Legislative Party leader A. Maheshwar Reddy, have strongly condemned this “anti-CEC rally.” BJP leaders have made serious allegations against the state government of misusing the police machinery. They say the government is using the police to suppress the opposition, while Congress-backed protests against a constitutional institution are being given free rein. These leaders alleged that the Congress is deliberately targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The main reason for this is that the Congress is feeling uncomfortable with the steps being taken to ensure transparency in the voter list. Dr. Gaur directly challenged the Congress, saying that if the Congress has so much doubt about the election process, its governments in various states should immediately resign. Meanwhile, Maheshwar Reddy demanded evidence to prove the allegations against the Election Commission. He clarified that recent clarifications have further strengthened public confidence in constitutional institutions. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Gyanesh Chor’: Congress steps up protests across country, demands CEC’s removal
The developments come amid an intensifying confrontation between the Congress and the Election Commission over the functioning of the poll panel, including SIR. The Congress on Monday took to the streets against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, holding protests across the country and burning his effigies amid the SIR row, and said the groundswell against him will only increase till he is removed. Congress workers protested outside CEC Kumar’s residence in Agra and raised slogans while defacing the main gate and a wall of the house with spray paint. They put up stickers and pasted pamphlets outside his Vijay Nagar home and wrote “Gyanesh Gaddar Gyanesh Chor” — calling the CEC a “traitor” and a “thief” — in Hindi. Police used water cannons to disperse the protesters who tried to scale barricades at many places, including Jaipur and Bhopal. The protests came as opposition parties, which have been critical of CEC Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, called for his immediate removal after it came to light that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period to decisions and orders, some of which they said were issued without their knowledge. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the party will deliberate on further strategy on the issue on Tuesday when its top decision-making body – the Congress Working Committee – will meet here. “We are going to fight this seriously. This issue concerns the entire country, the existence of our democracy and the survival of our country… The Election Commission’s own people have exposed them…. he is propagating the BJP’s philosophy and has become a BJP worker,” he claimed. The opposition INDIA bloc is also likely to meet on September 30, where they will discuss their future strategy for the CEC’s ouster and sign and file another notice for his removal in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. “The Congress has protested in 1000+ districts today. Mr. Gyanesh, this is just the beginning. The groundswell will only grow from hereon. My advice to Modi-Shah, sack Gyanesh before the streets are filled with people rejecting your Vote Chori shenanigans,” AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said on X. Delhi Congress workers gathered at the party office on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg and tried to march to Nirvachan Sadan, but police stopped them by erecting barricades. The Indian Youth Congress also organised a protest in Delhi and its members were stopped by the police at the IYC office from marching to the Election Commission office. Some protesters wore masks of Kumar and had their hands bound in metal chains, symbolising their claim that “the CEC was acting in BJP’s interests and the EC’s hands were tied”. “In Agra, Congress workers blackened with soot the house of ‘Gaddar Gyanesh’. The way Modi and Shah, in collusion with Gyanesh, have looted elections across different parts of the country over the past several years is directly an act of treason against the country. We will ensure that Gyanesh is punished,” the IYC said on X. A Congress worker wears a mask of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and poses with chained hands during a protest against the CEC in Jammu on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. Kumar, a 1988-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Kerala cadre, was appointed election commissioner to the poll panel on March 15, 2024, after retiring from service on January 31, 2024. He assumed charge as the 26th CEC on February 19 last year. The developments come amid an intensifying confrontation between the Congress and the Election Commission over the functioning of the poll panel, including SIR, with party leader Rahul Gandhi accusing CEC Kumar of “treason” and asking him to turn an approver for “vote chori”. “Gyanesh Kumar will go. But the system that made him do this will also have to answer,” he said in a post on X. The Congress also held protests at several places in Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, among others, accusing the CEC of acting in favour of the BJP. Congress’ Haryana unit held demonstrations and marches across the state, demanding a comprehensive review of all election-related decisions taken during Kumar’s tenure and the alleged changes made in the electoral rolls post SIR. Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the party’s Haryana affairs in-charge Sanjay Dutt, state party chief Rao Narender Singh, former Union minister Birender Singh, and MLAs and MPs took part in the protest, where Kumar’s effigy was burnt. Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress’ Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and state party chief Govind Singh Dotasra were among senior party leaders detained by police during a protest march to the State Election Commission office in Jaipur over alleged vote theft and irregularities in SIR. Soon after the march began at Shaheed Smarak, the protesters came across multiple layers of barricades. When they tried to push through the barricades, police used water cannons to disperse them. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring led a protest in Ferozepur, accusing CEC Kumar of “subverting and sabotaging” democracy in the country. The protesters also burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the CEC. Warring alleged that Kumar had “subverted and sabotaged” the electoral process and claimed that 13.8 crore voters had been “single-handedly disenfranchised” through deletion from electoral rolls. The Congress held protests at district headquarters in Srinagar, with the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera leading a demonstration at the Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters. “We will keep fighting until he resigns, because in this country, elections will not be possible if such people remain,” Khera said. Maharashtra Congress also organised protests across the state and submitted memoranda to district collectors seeking action against Kumar. Party workers held a dharna in Mumbai and other districts, including Pune, Kolhapur, Solapur, Nashik, Nagpur, Amravati, Thane, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Chandrapur, Nanded, Latur, Beed, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Raigad, Dharashiv,
Congress to begin Bharat Jodo-2 in Karnataka tomorrow
Hariprasad said the padayatra will start at 1 pm and conclude with a rally in the constituency in the evening. BENGALURU/SHIVAMOGGA: State Congress President BK Hariprasad on Monday said the Congress will launch ‘Bharat Jodo-2’ in Karnataka from September 30. The campaign will start from Shikaripura, Shivamogga district, and cover 84 assembly segments where the Congress lost in the 2023 Assembly polls. On September 30, 2022, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra had entered Karnataka. Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Hariprasad said the padayatra will start at 1 pm and conclude with a rally in the constituency in the evening. Congress workers and leaders from across districts will take part in the padayatra, during which they will discuss drought and other issues with the people, and also create awareness about alleged wrongdoings by the Chief Election Commissioner, he said. Shivamogga district minister Madhu S Bangarappa told reporters that a massive convention will be organised in Shikaripura on September 30 to commemorate the Bharat Jodo Yatra undertaken by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi four years ago. It will start at Kittadandi village at 10am, and the march will pass through Kote, Hosanagara, Mattikote, Hosanagara Cross and Nelavodlu village, before culminating at the APMC Yard in Shikaripura. Responding to a question, the minister asserted that he was committed to ensuring the defeat of Shikaripura MLA and state BJP president BY Vijayendra in the next Assembly election. He alleged that Vijayendra had secured victory by a narrow margin. “Our target is to defeat Vijayendra in Shikaripura in the next Assembly elections. Vijayendra is preparing to launch a padayatra. Let him do so, but not against the Congress. Instead, he should undertake a padayatra against corruption, for which his father BS Yediyurappa was the architect,” Madhu Bangarappa said. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul Gandhi discusses NSUI’s defeat in the DUSU elections, questions NSUI’s ticket distribution and strategy, advises learning from mistakes.
Rahul Gandhi’s meeting following the NSUI’s crushing defeat in the DUSU elections discussed strategy, ticket distribution, and organizational preparations. The need for accountability and organizational reform after losing all four central positions was emphasized. New Delhi: On Monday, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, held a meeting to review the reasons for NSUI’s defeat in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections. The meeting, attended by Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, NSUI in-charge Kanhaiya Kumar, and National President Vinod Jakhar, discussed the organization’s poor performance in the elections and the selection of candidates in detail. The meeting stated that the DUSU elections were a major test for NSUI, but the defeat in all four central positions exposed serious organizational and strategic shortcomings within the organization. The meeting emphasized the need for accountability and organizational reform. Questions Raised About Ticket Distribution The NSUI failed to win a single central post in the DUSU elections. Two candidates who rebelled after being denied tickets received more votes than the organization’s official candidates. The meeting also discussed why these candidates were denied tickets and what shortcomings were found in the selection process. Rahul Gandhi had requested a detailed report on the reasons for the defeat. Based on this report, Monday’s meeting reviewed the election strategy, ticket distribution, and organizational preparations. Describing the elections as a crucial test for the NSUI, it was stated that the defeat in all four central posts cannot be viewed as a simple electoral defeat. Serious shortcomings in the organization’s strategy and functioning were exposed. According to sources, the meeting emphasized accountability and addressing organizational shortcomings. It was also discussed that changes to the NSUI’s organizational structure would be made in the coming weeks. This meeting took place a day before the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Tuesday. Reported by: Hemant Rajoura • Edited by: Ashok Upadhyay About the Author Hemant Rajoura is a special correspondent for Navbharat Times. He covers the politics of major opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, and RJD, in-depth. He also keeps a close eye on important news related to health, science, and policy. Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Only one of 728 remains’: Rahul’s new charge against EC over Delhi’s Bela Estate voter list
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday again targeted the Election Commission and CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, citing the case of Delhi’s Bela Estate, where he claimed 727 of 728 names were removed from the voter list. Sharing a video of his phone call with the SDM over the SIR exercise on X, the Rae Bareli MP wrote, “728 people live in Bela Estate on the banks of the Yamuna. After SIR, only one name remains in the voter list – the other 727 names have been struck off.” He said the residents had been living in the area for decades and had voted in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the 2025 Delhi assembly elections. “In 2023, their homes were demolished – but they didn’t go anywhere, they’re still right here,” Rahul said. — rahulgandhi (@rahulgandhi) Rahul said he visited the residents in their jhuggis and heard directly from them about what they alleged had happened during the SIR exercise. He said he also spoke to the SDM over the issue. “On the phone with the SDM, I said exactly this – having a house or not has no connection to the right to vote. CEC Gyanesh Kumar himself has said that “House Number 0″ is for the homeless. Yet, 727 people’s names have been struck off,” he wrote. Former Congress president further criticised the SIR exercise, calling it “a method of vote theft” and alleging that it was taking away the only political power available to some of the country’s poorest citizens. He also targeted chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid a controversy over an Indian Express report on alleged differences between the CEC and the other two election commissioners. “Gyanesh Kumar will go. But the system that made him do this will also have to answer,” Rahul said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
BJP SC Morcha threatens Statewide protest, seeks ‘White Paper’ on dalit welfare funds
The Telangana BJP SC Morcha has threatened to lay siege to Scheduled Caste (SC) Corporation offices across all districts on Tuesday, alleging that the Congress government has pursued “anti-Dalit” policies and failed to deliver on its welfare promises. The organisation also demanded the release of a White Paper detailing the utilisation of funds allocated for Dalit welfare. In a statement, SC Morcha State president Kanthi Kiran accused the government of neglecting Dalit welfare and diverting funds meant for the community. He alleged that Dalit welfare was being projected through “statistical jugglery on paper” while unemployed Dalit youth continued to suffer due to a lack of tangible benefits. Referring to statements made by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka in the Assembly, Mr. Kiran said the government had claimed to allocate nearly ₹1.20 lakh crore under the Scheduled Caste Special Development Fund (SCSDF) over the 2024, 2025 and 2026 financial years, amounting to about ₹40,000 crore annually. However, he alleged that there was little evidence of the funds translating into benefits on the ground. The BJP leader also questioned the Congress’ Chevella Declaration promise to provide financial assistance of ₹12 lakh to every Dalit family. He claimed that although nearly five lakh applications had been received under the Rajiv Yuva Vikasam self-employment scheme, none had been approved or implemented so far. Mr. Kiran said the government’s failure to provide expenditure details despite three Right to Information (RTI) applications filed with the Hyderabad District SC Corporation and District Collectors had raised serious concerns. He demanded that the proposed White Paper disclose department-wise allocations from the SC Development Fund, actual expenditure incurred and the number of beneficiaries who received assistance under self-employment schemes. ‘Anti-CEC rally’ faulted Meanwhile, BJP leaders including party spokesperson N.V. Subash, vice-president B. Narsaiah Goud and Legislature Party leader A. Maheshwar Reddy condemned what they described as an “anti-Chief Election Commissioner rally” and accused the State government of misusing the police machinery to suppress the Opposition while permitting Congress-backed protests against a constitutional authority. The leaders alleged that the Congress was targeting CEC Gyanesh Kumar because it was uncomfortable with measures aimed at ensuring greater integrity of electoral rolls. Dr. Goud challenged Congress governments in various States to resign if they had doubts about the electoral process, while Mr. Reddy demanded evidence to support allegations against the Election Commission, claiming that recent clarifications had reinforced public confidence in constitutional institutions. The Hindu Bureau Courtesy : The Hindu Note: This news is originally published on https:/thehindu.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
SP eyes Agra, the ‘Dalit Capital’ of UP, betting on youth and women voters to increase its vote share by 27,000 in each seat.
UP Assembly Election 2027: The Samajwadi Party is organizing a Dalit convention in Agra on November 15th. All local organizations are being contacted for this purpose. Sanjay Singh, Agra/New Delhi: In view of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections, Akhilesh Yadav has set a target of increasing his vote share by at least 27,000 in each assembly seat. In this effort, the Samajwadi Party has focused on two categories of voters: women and youth, to return to power. The party is also trying to woo Dalit voters who have been drifting away from the party amid the electoral decline of the Bahujan Samaj Party in recent years. As part of its strategy to woo Dalits, the SP has decided to organize a Dalit convention in Agra on November 15th. Agra is also known as the Dalit capital of North India due to its large population of SC voters. Ramji Lal Suman touring Western UP SP National General Secretary Ramji Lal Suman said, “I am touring various districts in Western UP to invite SC voters to attend this convention. We are in contact with local SC organizations to ensure a large turnout at the convention. We will tell voters that the BJP does not care about the interests of SC voters.” Aim to reduce BJP’s vote share by 27,000 in each seat It should be noted that former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav recently announced that his party has set a target of increasing its vote share by 27,000 votes in each assembly seat. His party will work to reduce the BJP’s vote share by 27,000 in each assembly seat. This was the margin of victory in 93 seats. The Samajwadi Party aims to strengthen its booth-level organization, conduct door-to-door outreach, and reverse the narrow margins of lost seats in the 2022 elections. The SP had approximately 93 seats where the margin of victory was this close. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the SP gained an edge in 72 seats where the BJP won. The SP is aiming to maintain this lead and expand it to other assembly constituencies. Dalit Voters Up to 30 Percent Of the total 20 to 20.57 lakh voters in Agra, Dalit voters constitute approximately 30 percent, or approximately 600,000 to 6.2 lakh. This is a reserved seat, and BJP’s SP Singh Baghel was elected MP here in 2024. Will the Samajwadi Party secure Dalit votes in the UP elections? Share your opinion in the comment section. Click to comment. Edited by: Vaibhav Pandey About the Author Vaibhav Pandey is a Senior Journalist/Assistant News Editor at Navbharat Times Online. He has 18 years of experience in the media industry. Vaibhav Pandey joined Navbharat Times Online in 2018. Currently, he closely monitors news from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Courtesy: Hindi News