With an eye on Dalit votes ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, ruling JD (U) in Bihar will organise ‘Bhim Sansad’ at the Veterinary College ground in the state capital on Sunday. The ‘Bhim Sansad’ will be organised on ‘Constitution Day’ with the slogan, "Save Constitution, Save Reservation, Save Country!"
JD (U) is claiming that not less than 1.5 lakh people will participate in the event.
While chief minister Nitish Kumar will inaugurate ‘Bhim Sansad’, JD (U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh aka Lalan Singh will be chief guest on the occasion.
State building construction minister Ashok Choudhary is leading the campaign to organise ‘Bhim Sansad’ and consolidate Dalit votes in favour of JD (U).
This is seen as another smart move by chief minister Nitish Kumar after conducting the caste-based survey report and enacting a law to enhance the reservation quotas of OBCs, EBCs, SCs and ST from 50 percent to 65 percent.
After Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) supremo and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi left the grand alliance, Nitish has been trying hard to project his cabinet colleague Choudhary as a Dalit leader. The ‘Bhim Sansad’ is also seen as Nitish's move to counter LJP (Ram Vilas) chief and MP Chirag Paswan, who command good support among Paswan voters, who constitute nearly five percent of the electorate.
It is another matter his uncle and union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras, head of rival Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party, also has a good command over Paswan voters.
With the support of RJD`s strong Muslim-Yadav vote bank and other allies, the grand alliance is hoping to put on a good show in the Lok Sabha election.
According to the caste-based survey report, the population of Yadavs is 14.27 percent while Muslims account for 17.70 percent. Besides JD (U) and RJD, other allies of the grand alliance are Congress, CPI, CPI (M) and CPI (ML). JD (U) through ‘Bhim Sansad’ will also try to counter BJP's attempt to paint Nitish as an anti-Dalit leader after his outbursts against Manjhi during the last winter session of the assembly. SCs constitute 19.65 percent of the state`s population.
