Eye on UP polls, Rahul Gandhi meets Dalit-EBC delegation

Lucknow: A delegation of social workers, community leaders from Dalit and extremely backward classes (EBCs) from different parts of UP met Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Thursday.Being dubbed as an effort to consolidate Dalits and EBCs ahead of UP Assembly elections, the meeting marked the beginning of a broader outreach campaign aimed at reviving the party’s grassroots support.Chairman, Scheduled Castes Department, All India Congress Committee, Rajendra Pal Gautam, who was part of the delegation, said they discussed issues concerning education, employment, political representation and socio-economic condition of Dalits and backward communities.“Concerns over crimes against vulnerable communities and the failure of authorities to act on such cases also figured prominently in the discussions with Rahul Gandhi,” he said.Describing the interaction as a routine organisational exercise but a significant engagement, Gautam said the outcome of the outreach would become visible soon.“Election sar pe hain, toh sari meetings elections se related hi hogi,” Gautam told TOI, acknowledging that preparations for the 2027 contest formed the backdrop of the interaction.Gautam alleged that actions of BJP govts and police often deter victims from seeking justice and this was raised before the Congress MP.Political analyst and faculty in political history at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Prof Sushil Pandey, said: “The outreach assumes significance as parties are recalibrating their social coalitions ahead of 2027 polls. While Dalits constitute a sizeable section of Uttar Pradesh’s electorate, EBCs have emerged as an influential voting bloc courted by all major parties.”Gautam had triggered political chatter by attempting to meet BSP chief Mayawati after walking from the UP Congress office to her Mall Avenue residence in Lucknow last month. The initiative generated considerable attention besides causing embarrassment to Congress state leadership, which issued a show-cause notice to him.Party leaders, however, view the latest engagement with Rahul Gandhi as part of a sustained effort to expand Congress’s outreach among Dalits and backward communities as it prepares for the next electoral battle in the state.