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The BJP’s formula not only aims to reclaim the 125 assembly seats it lost in 2022, but also mend its relationship with Dalit voters through a targeted ‘SC Dialogue’ campaign
To ensure effective implementation of road safety measures, the CM has directed monthly district-level road safety committee meetings and quarterly reviews at the divisional level. (File image: ANI)
With an eye on the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come up with a special formula – ‘reclaim and reconnect’.
The formula, as per the BJP’s 2027 blueprint, not only aims to reclaim the more than 125 assembly seats it lost in the 2022 assembly polls, but also mend its frayed relationship with Dalit voters through a targeted ‘Scheduled Caste Dialogue’ campaign, which the party is carrying out in the key constituencies.
The defeat in key constituencies and the drubbing in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections — where the BJP could win only 33 of the 80 seats in UP — have served as a wake-up call. Under the strategic leadership of party state general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh, the BJP is going back to the grassroots, blending hard electoral arithmetic with emotional outreach.
BJP’S RETROSPECTIVE REALISATION
In the 2022 Vidhan Sabha polls, despite returning to power with 255 seats on its own and 18 more through allies Apna Dal (Soney Lal) and NISHAD party, the BJP failed to retain several strongholds. The 2024 general election results further punctuated the urgency for course correction, especially with the resurgent Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance gaining traction across caste lines — particularly among Dalits.
“The SP-Congress alliance misled Scheduled Caste voters by spreading falsehoods about the BJP’s intentions towards the Constitution and Dr Ambedkar’s legacy. However, this time our aim is to correct the misconceptions with facts and literature that reflect our long-standing commitment to social justice and Dalit empowerment,” said Dharampal Singh.
DALIT DIALOGUE
One of the BJP’s most concerted campaigns in recent times is its Scheduled Caste Dialogue programme — a series of grassroots meetings, public interactions, and cadre mobilisation efforts designed to engage directly with Dalit communities.
Singh, who is spearheading the campaign, has been visiting district after district — especially those covering constituencies the BJP lost in 2022. From Pratapgarh to Ambedkar Nagar, from Rae Bareli to Bijnor, he has been holding what insiders describe as “healing meetings” — aimed not just at political consolidation, but social reconnection.
“During these visits, we aren’t just focusing on votes. We are listening to grievances, identifying gaps in welfare delivery, and communicating our commitment to safeguarding the Constitution,” said a senior BJP leader involved in the planning.
REBUILDING BOOTHS
The BJP’s second major thrust is structural — a meticulous rebuilding of its booth-level organisation in the lost constituencies. The party leadership has tasked district units with reactivating booth committees, identifying influential local faces among marginalised communities, and ensuring last-mile communication.
“Our experience has shown that a strong booth organisation translates into better electoral performance. In areas we lost, either our ground presence was weak or our message didn’t reach effectively. That’s being fixed,” said another senior strategist.
BJP workers have been asked to go door-to-door with campaign literature that highlights the party’s policies for Dalits, including the provision of free housing, health insurance under Ayushman Bharat, and schemes like PM-SVANidhi for street vendors, many of whom belong to SC communities.
AMBEDKAR AND THE CONSTITUTION
Perhaps the most sensitive front in the BJP’s twin-strategy campaign is the battle over BR Ambedkar’s legacy and the sanctity of the Constitution — issues the Opposition has successfully used to corner the BJP in recent years.
“The narrative that the BJP is anti-Ambedkar or that it will dilute the Constitution is not just false, it’s dangerous. Unfortunately, many fell for it during the Lok Sabha polls. We are going to dispel these myths with data, history, and outreach,” said Singh.
The BJP is also planning a series of conferences, seminars, and public dialogues — some in collaboration with Dalit intellectuals and retired bureaucrats — to present its perspective on Ambedkar’s ideals and its alignment with the vision of social harmony and empowerment.
THE ROAD TO 2027
The road to 2027 is not just about electoral numbers, it’s about the BJP’s ideological and social positioning in India’s most populous and politically critical state. With the SP and Congress alliance gaining momentum, and regional outfits such as the BSP watching from the sidelines, the BJP’s twin-focus plan could be a game-changer — or a desperate last-ditch effort — depending on how well it is executed.
“If the BJP successfully rebuilds its connection with Dalits while strengthening its organisational structure in lost constituencies, it could blunt the edge of the SP-Congress alliance,” said Prof. Shashikant Pandey, head of the Department of Political Science at Dr Ambedkar University, Lucknow. “The real contest in 2027 will be over perception, narrative, and mobilisation.”
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