Dalits backed Akhilesh Yadav in 2024. Now Chirag Paswan wants to win them over

The Samajwadi Party (SP) successfully secured a considerable number of votes from the Dalit community in Uttar Pradesh during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, leading to the BJP's seat count in the state falling from 62 in 2019 to 33. In response to this shift, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJP(RV)), led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, is actively working to gain a foothold in the UP elections next year and expand its influence with non-Jatav Dalit voters.

Over the past year, LJP(RV) has been strengthening its organization and setting up booths in Purvanchal and central UP, which host significant Pasi and Paswan populations. The party aims to engage with these communities through activities such as organizing Dalit Chaupals and conducting voter outreach campaigns using Navsankalp Mahasabhas.

The decline of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in UP, which saw its worst performance in decades in both the 2022 Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, has provided LJP(RV) with a unique opportunity to capture the Dalit vote bank. The party is now focusing on regions where Jatavs, who traditionally support the BSP, are not dominant, hoping to influence their voting choices.

LJP(RV) also plans to engage with Brahmins, who have shown dissatisfaction with the Yogi Adityanath government, through Chanakya Chaupals held in temples. Despite a history of limited success in UP, LJP(RV) aims to prove itself as a viable alternative to SP and Congress, emphasizing its work in Bihar and pledging to work for the people of UP.