JOIN USNadda steps up OBC outreach, asks party to look out for unrepresented communities
Ahead of Uttar Pradesh elections, BJP is pulling out all stops to OBC voters with BJP chief J P Nadda asking party leaders to look out for communities that have remained unrepresented.
“We have to take everyone along. I would ask the activists of the OBC morcha to look out if any backward communities have been left out,” Nadda said addressing a felicitation function of OBC leaders in the council of ministers.
After the recent expansion of the council of ministers, there are 27 ministers from OBC communities, 12 from scheduled castes, eight from scheduled tribes, besides 11 women.
Nadda said 35 per cent of the council of ministers is made up of leaders from OBC communities.
OBC communities form more that 50 per cent of the total voting population in Uttar Pradesh and leaders cutting across party lines are wooing the group ahead of elections next year.
“It is for the first time India's council of ministers resembles a beautiful bouquet that has representation from diverse caste groups. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tried to give representation to every caste group and every state in the council of ministers,” Nadda said.
Nadda slammed the opposition parties for “ignoring” the rightful claims of the OBCs in government and accused them of pandering to various caste groups only at the time of elections.
“Who had stopped the previous rulers from giving representation to all castes? They only believed in succession of leadership roles in their respective families,” Nadda said.
The support of the non-Yadav OBCs is considered to have played a key role in BJP's massive victory in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and it is making every effort to keep them along.
The BJP President asked the OBC morcha to redouble efforts to find out if any caste groups or communities have still remained unrepresented so that they can be brought ahead.