Author: Times News Network
Publication: The Economic Times
Date: December 5, 2003
URL: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/340502.cms
The BJP swept the tribal dominated
pockets of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Rajasthan in what is seen as
a strong evidence of the inroads the Sangh Parivar has made into the category
which was till recently considered to be off limits to it.
The BJP's gains in the tribal belt
stretching across the three states played a key role in the impressive
saffron wins. Coming after the solid tribal support it got in last year's
Gujarat elections, the BJP success in the widely-acknowledged Congress
fortress is seen as testimony to the growing saffron appeal among the tribals.
In several constituencies, the BJP scored maiden wins upsetting Congress'
calculations, especially those of the defeated Chattisgarh chief minister
Ajit Jogi.
Saddled with the charge that he
is a counterfeit tribal, Mr Jogi aggressively marketed himself as a champion
of the tribal cause, though to little avail. In a dramatic reversal, BJP
grabbed the chunk of seats in the Chattisgarh's Bastar and Sarguja, leaving
only crumbs for the Congress. Rather, it was Dilip Singh Judeo, a Rajput,
emerging unscathed in the popularity stakes despite the graft-on-disc controversy,
who turned out be a better draw with the tribals. Mr Judeo, building upon
the foundation built by Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Sangh Parivar's answer to
Christian missionaries, campaigned aggressively on the anti- conversion
theme.
The Ashram, which runs a chain of
schools and hospitals, among the tribals, was conceived by the Sangh Parivar
to counter the proselytization by Christian missionaries. It has been successful
in encouraging the tribals to identify themselves as part of the majority
community, leading to the berth of what can be called the 'born again-
Hindu' class which has been the vanguard of anti-conversion movements.
Outside Chattisgarh, the campaign
assignment in tribal areas for the BJP was handled by Gujarat chief minister
Narendra Modi, himself a beneficiary of Ashram's work among tribals back
home.
Tribal dominated pockets of Rajasthan
which, excepting the small patch around Banswara where veteran Socialist
Mama Baleshwar Dayal's work continues to fetch dividends for various versions
of Socialists/ Janata Dal, have all along been Congress' bailwick, have
favoured the BJP.
In MP, tribal dominated constituencies
of Jhabua, Khandwa, Mandla, Shahdol, Sidhi and parts of Dhar parliamentary
constituency have seen a BJP surge.
