The BJP is now following the same path it opposed in Uttar Pradesh, spending crores of rupees, even its supporters are surprised.

News Topical, Digital Desk : Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections, political activity is swirling around the Constitution and Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath 's government is building a memorial and cultural center in his name in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati previously built a memorial in Ambedkar's name two decades ago. This move by the BJP is being seen as linked to the UP Assembly elections. 

The Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial and Cultural Centre is being built in Lucknow's Aishbagh. The memorial is being constructed on an area of ​​approximately 5,493.52 square meters. Its foundation stone was laid by then-President Ram Nath Kovind in 2022, before the state assembly elections, and the budget was ₹45 crore (450 million rupees). However, after the expansion, the budget has now reached ₹100 crore (100 million rupees). 

BJP's decision has surprised even its supporters.

This decision by the BJP is now causing surprise even among its supporters. While the BJP had once opposed this decision, it is now pursuing the same path, costing crores of rupees.

BJP is building a new Ambedkar memorial in Lucknow

The memorial being built by the BJP will be different from the BSP's memorial, featuring a 25-foot-tall statue of Ambedkar and beautified surroundings. The memorial will include an auditorium, library, research center, and facilities for researchers. It will be inaugurated in July 2027. 

Interestingly, this will be the second such memorial in the same city, Lucknow. Previously, an Ambedkar memorial was built during the BSP government, and now the BJP government is also constructing a memorial. This move by the BJP is being seen as politically motivated, an attempt to woo the state's Dalit voters. 

The politics behind the construction of the Ambedkar memorial

The groundbreaking ceremony before the 2022 elections and the inauguration of the Ambedkar Memorial before 2027 will strengthen the BJP's presence among Dalit voters, and the party will attempt to woo them by portraying itself as pro-Dalit. According to reports, the BJP has taken this step following its crushing defeat at the hands of the Samajwadi Party (SP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In these elections, Dalits voted in large numbers for the opposition parties, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress. 

BJP trying to woo Dalit voters

In fact, as the BSP weakened after 2014, Dalit voters shifted toward the BJP. Dalits also stood with the BJP in the 2017 and 2022 elections, but in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the opposition's promotion of constitutional amendments and reservation issues led a significant number of Dalit voters to abandon the BJP and join opposition parties. 

The BJP bore the brunt of this shift in Dalit attitudes, with the Samajwadi Party winning the most Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, winning 36, while its ally, the Congress, won six. The BJP, meanwhile, became the second-largest party. Unwilling to repeat this mistake, it will attempt to popularize itself with Dalits by opening the Ambedkar Memorial to the public before the elections.

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