BJP to send OBC ministers on outreach campaign

NEW DELHI: BJP’s OBC outreach will now take ministers hailing from these classes reach out to people to seek their votes and build a pro-party narrative in the run-up to Assembly elections next year. While Union ministers from OBC ranks have been asked to seek blessings of the people after being denied introduction in both the Houses of Parliament, party MPs has also been given the task of highlighting the works done for the backward castes.

BJP chief JP Nadda on Wednesday held a felicitation of ministers inducted in the Union Cabinet from OBC backgrounds. These ministers from different states have been asked by the party to take out ‘Ashirwad Yatra’ this month, said a senior party leader. He added that the OBC outreach will be taken out after the Independence Day celebrations. There are 27 ministers in the NDA government at the Centre from OBC ranks, including five of Cabinet ranks. Bhupender Yadav is one of them.       

“The ministers from OBC ranks will take out the Ashirwad Yatra among the people in their respective states and sensitise the people about the works done by the NDA government, which include the recent initiatives of implementing the 27 per cent reservation in graduate and the post-graduate medical courses in the all India examinations along with the enactment of the Constitution (127) Amendment Bill. The new law will allow the inclusion of a number of OBC castes in the category to gain the benefits of reservation in education and employment,” added the BJP functionary.  

The BJP has also asked state units to work closely with the ministers from OBC ranks. “The state units will fully support the ministers from OBC ranks. The party MPs, who hail from OBC ranks, will also accompany the ministers,” said another BJP functionary.