To overcome BJP in the assembly elections to be held in Uttarakhand in the year 2027, Congress will target weaker sections including Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes and Tribes. The participation of these sections is also certain to increase in the organizational structure of the party.
The state organization has been given the responsibility of strengthening its penetration in these sections. Along with this, the party high command also made it clear that ‘Ekla Chalo’ or ‘Apni Dhapli, Apna Raag’ will not be tolerated. Collective leadership will now be the priority of the party.
Uttarakhand is among those states where assembly elections will be held within one to two years. The issue of caste census will also affect politics in these elections. Congress is pinning great hopes on this turmoil. Stopping the victory chariot of BJP in the state is a big challenge for the Congress. Congress has been defeated by BJP in three consecutive Lok Sabha elections and two assembly elections. To corner the BJP in the assembly elections in the year 2027, the party is preparing to capitalise on the atmosphere created by the caste census. The Congress high command is working on this strategy at the national level. In Uttarakhand’s total population of 1.25 crore, the share of Scheduled Castes is 19 percent, Scheduled Tribes three percent. The remaining 78 percent population is of OBC and general caste. About 56 percent of the population in Haridwar district and about 45 percent of the population in Udham Singh Nagar district are considered OBC. Uttarkashi district is entirely OBC dominated. In these districts, the number of Congress or independent MLAs has increased in the assembly elections held in the year 2022 as compared to the year 2017. The party has a special focus on increasing the number of seats by strengthening its penetration in Scheduled Castes, OBCs, minority communities. On Thursday, all the senior Congressmen and MLAs of Uttarakhand were called in New Delhi and indications were given to adapt to the changing wind of politics. For this reason, the state organization has been asked to appease all the weaker sections. Not only this, the central leaders were asked to speak up and raise their voices against the incidents of sexual harassment of girls from scheduled castes. ‘As per the instructions of the central leadership, the ideology of Congress will be taken forward by strengthening the weaker sections including scheduled castes, tribes, OBCs, minorities in the state. – Yashpal Arya, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.
