OBC-Dalit alliance under the SP’s banner is key to defeat the BJP: Swami Prasad Maurya

Highlighting the SP’s outreach towards Dalits and non-Yadav OBC castes, Mr. Maurya said that in the recently constituted national executive committee of the SP, roughly 35% members are from non-Yadav OBC or EBC social groups like Rajbhar, Nishad and Maurya, while six members are Dalits.

Describing an Other Backward Classes (OBC)-Dalit social and political alliance under the Samajwadi Party (SP) banner as key to defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh, SP national general secretary and prominent Backward Class leader Swami Prasad Maurya claimed it is politically a do-or-die moment for followers of socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia and Dalit icons like Bhimrao Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram to join hands for protecting the shared value of social justice.

“We have to unite the 85% voters. The defeat of the BJP is very important as they are the biggest enemy of Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST),” Mr. Maurya told The Hindu.

Also read: Akhilesh Yadav to unveil statue of BSP’s founder Kanshi Ram in Rae Bareli

Speaking about the much-publicised unveiling of the late Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder and Dalit leader Kanshi Ram’s statue by SP president Akhilesh Yadav in Rae Bareli on April 3, Mr. Maurya, the main organiser of the event, had said: “Manyavar Kashi Ram’s statue will be unveiled at Manyavar Kanshi Ram Mahavidyalaya in Rae Bareli, by the SP president Akhilesh Yadav. It is a social event to remember our icons who worked for upliftment of poor and marginalised communities.”

“In 1993, both Kashi Ram- ji and Mulayam Singh Yadav- ji united the Backward Classes and Dalits, which led to the defeat of the BJP at the height of [Ram] Mandir movement. This can be and will be done again in 2024 by their followers under Akhilesh Yadav’s leadership,” the SP general secretary, who has had a long stint with the BSP, said.

Mr. Maurya, who also served as a Minister in the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and left the saffron party before the 2022 U.P. Assembly elections alleged that the BJP was enjoying power by creating conflict within the Backward Classes, Dalit communities, and sub-groups. “Tactically, the rights and reservations of the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC), Dalits and OBCs are nullified by the ruling BJP. I have worked under them; I can tell you there is no respect for these communities in the saffron party,” he said.

Highlighting the SP’s outreach towards Dalits and non-Yadav OBC castes, Mr. Maurya said that in the recently constituted national executive committee of the SP, roughly 35% members are from non-Yadav OBC or EBC social groups like Rajbhar, Nishad and Maurya, while six members are Dalits. “I am the guarantor of the rights of EBCs, Dalits and other marginalised groups in the party. They will get proper representation within the party organisation or in ticket distribution,” the SP leader said.