Karnataka BJP plans ‘Bhima Sangama’ campaign to woo Dalits, tribals, OBCs

The campaign is part of the party’s nationwide efforts to win over Dalits, tribals and backward classes.

Bengaluru: BJP state vice-president N Mahesh said on Thursday that the party had directed its leaders, including union ministers, MLAs, MPs and defeated MLAs to launch ‘Bhima Sangama’ – a campaign to have breakfast/lunch/dinner with Dalit families – as part of its ongoing two-month-long ‘Our Constitution, Our Pride’ (Namma Samvidhana Namma Hemme) campaign.

The campaign is part of the party’s nationwide efforts to win over Dalits, tribals and backward classes.  Speaking to reporters after the ‘Our Constitution, Our Pride’ meeting at the party’s state headquarters here,

Mahesh said the party would organise booth-level programmes to win over all sections of the society till January 25, when the two-month-long campaign ends.

Leader of the Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy told DH that the BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh had directed leaders at all levels to launch a campaign against ‘untouchability’.

“As part of this, BJP leaders (MLAs, MPs, ex-MLAs and ex-MPs) were asked to organise ‘break the bread campaign’ with at least 50 Dalit families like a festival in their constituencies or areas of influence,” he said, quoting Santhosh.

‘Malicious campaign’

He said the basic idea was to create awareness among the vulnerable sections about the Congress party’s ‘malicious campaign’ of portraying BJP as anti-Dalit and anti-Constitution.

“Santhosh asked us to launch a year-long campaign at the booth level. As part of this programme, BJP will offer puja to a portrait of Dr Ambedkar and a copy of the Constitution,” he said.

Booth-level programmes

Narayanaswamy said there was a systematic campaign going on in the country to portray the BJP as ‘antireservation’ and this needed to be countered by the leaders.

“The party needs to organise booth-level programmes till the perception about BJP is changed,” he said, quoting Santhosh.

Courtesy : DH

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