Central Minister of State for Law, Arjunram Meghwal, while addressing a press conference at the BJP state office, stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s effective policies towards the Scheduled Caste (Dalit) community have had a profound impact on their voting choices.
He cited reports from the “Dalit Study Center”, which claim that BJP received 36% of the Dalit vote in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, and this increased to 39% in the 2019 elections, alluding to the impact of Modi’s leadership on this segment of the population.
Meghwal pointed out that the policies of PM Modi, such as addressing electricity inequalities in remote villages, providing homes to the poor under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and constructing 11.5 crore toilets under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, have resonated with the Scheduled Caste community. Consequently, they have begun to view the BJP as a party that values equality.
The Central Minister elaborated that after the implementation of the Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar remarked that although India would have democratic equality based on the principle of “one vote, one value,” there would still be social inequality. This led to the question of who would address this social inequality. To tackle this issue, PM Modi formed a committee under the chairmanship of Venkaiah Naidu immediately after coming to power in 2014. Subsequently, the Modi government worked towards bridging these inequalities. This led to a significant increase in the average income of the underprivileged, lifting 13.5 crore people above the poverty line.
Meghwal asserted that the BJP has successfully attracted several prominent figures from the Scheduled Caste community, who are now party members. However, he noted that development in Rajasthan has stalled due to the Congress government’s focus on safeguarding its position. Meghwal emphasized that the BJP does not believe in free schemes but rather in empowering society and citizens.