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Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Out of total 543 Lok Sabha seats, 131 seats fall in the reserved category. Of these, 84 Lok Sabha seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC). 47 seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST). Only candidates of that community can contest elections on these seats. That is, it is mandatory for all parties to give tickets to Dalit community candidates on SC reserved seats and to give tickets to tribal community candidates on ST reserved seats.
Elections are held for 543 Lok Sabha seats. Of these, 84 seats are reserved for SC, 47 seats for ST. The path to Delhi becomes easier for those who are inclined towards these seats.
Congress's hold remained strong for years
After independence, Congress had a strong hold on the tribal-Dalit vote bank for years. In tribal areas across the country including Gujarat, Congress was getting success everywhere from Assembly to Lok Sabha seats. At one time, Congress used to win 60-70 percent of reserved category seats and the remaining seats were won by candidates from regional parties.
This trend changed after the 1990s. Over the course of a decade, Congress's grip began to loosen and BJP gradually succeeded in winning over tribal-Dalit voters to its side. The picture changed so much in the elections from 1989 to 2014 that during this period a total of 975 MPs were elected from the SC-ST category. Of these, 28 percent were from Congress and 30 percent were from BJP.
BJP is in power since 2014 elections
In the 2014 elections, BJP got the benefit of Modi wave on these reserved seats also. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 40 of the 84 SC reserved seats. Congress had to be satisfied with only seven seats. Apart from this, seats were given to regional parties. Never before has BJP had such a huge influence on the Dalit vote bank and Congress has never been so eroded before.
Out of 47 tribal reserved seats, lotus bloomed on 27 seats. Congress got only five seats. Apart from this, regional parties got seats. The factor of young voters played a very important role behind this change. The young voters of both these communities had faith in Narendra Modi's promise and BJP directly benefited from this.
BJP's strategy on reserved seats in 2024
The BJP-led NDA alliance has made a strategy for SC-ST reserved seats. Since the path to Delhi becomes easier for the party or alliance that wins those seats, both BJP and Congress have made promises in their manifestos keeping them in mind. PM Modi claims that PM Janman Yojana will change the standard of living of the tribal community.
BJP made a positive impact on the country's large Dalit community by making Ramnath Kovind the President. In 2022, Draupadi Murmu became the first tribal President of the country. By giving them the highest constitutional post, BJP has taken an important step towards wooing the tribal community.
Congress's strategy for reserved seats in 2014
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly raised the issue of giving proper representation to the tribal-dalit community to strengthen the party again. Rahul is cornering the central government on that issue also. By making Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge the national president of Congress, Congress gave the message that Congress gives importance to the Dalit community.
This also shows that Congress has benefited in Karnataka and Telangana assembly elections. In the Lok Sabha, Congress has taken the initiative to turn the voters of that community back towards Congress. Many promises have also been made in the manifesto.
BJP's dominance continued in 2019
In the 2019 elections, BJP got the expected success in repeating the 2014 results. BJP's hold on reserved category seats remained strong and Congress's performance deteriorated. BJP won 46 out of 84 seats in SC category. Only five seats came into the clutches of Congress. BJP waved saffron on tribal reserved seats also.
BJP got 31 out of 47 seats. In such a situation, Congress had to be satisfied with only four seats. Congress lost one seat. BJP won four more seats than in 2014. The schemes run by BJP for the tribal and Dalit communities in the last five years bore fruit in the 2019 elections. At the same time, the BJP also made its ground by promoting strong youth leadership in the tribal and Dalit communities.
Efforts of parties other than BJP and Congress
Being national parties, BJP and Congress are eyeing 131 seats, but apart from this, many regional parties or parties having dominance in two-five states are also making different strategies. Bahujan Samajwadi Party was established for Dalit rights and the party came to power in UP. Samajwadi Party also has Dalit vote bank.
In Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD party has a good hold among the Dalit-Tribal community. Ram Vilas Paswan had established LJP keeping in mind the Dalit vote bank in Bihar. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, founded by Shibu Shorey, has influence over the tribal community of the state. Aam Aadmi Party also makes strategies keeping in mind the vote bank of the Dalit community. Aam Aadmi Party also benefited from this in the Punjab Assembly elections.
