Congress to initiate LDM project to win 59 seats reserved for SC/ST in Rajasthan

Jaipur: Congress has decided a new formula to win seats reserved for ST and SC in Rajasthan. Under the formula called ‘LDM’, the party will start the Leadership Development Mission Project on SC-ST reserved 59 seats.

Along with balancing the growing influence of BJP and regional parties, new Dalit and tribal faces will be searched there.

LDM coordinators will be appointed on reserved assembly seats.
K Raju, who is close to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, held a meeting at PCC and began the LDM project.

Significantly, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is also from Dalit class.
If 18 % Dalit and 12 % tribal votes are clubbed in politics of Rajasthan, then it becomes 30 % of total votes. Dalit community is a politically aware society. SC Reserve Sriganganagar LS Constituency is considered to be the most Dalit populated area in the country. Dalit vote bank is a core vote bank of the Congress party.

Some castes belonging to the Dalit class, especially Koli, Regar, Jatav, Khatik, and Valmiki castes have had an inclination to BJP to some extent. However, dominant Meghwal and Bairwa castes have always been with the Congress.

Now under LDM project, castes of Dalits are being brought closer to Congress which till now distanced from the party. On the other hand, tribal communities with a population of 15 % of state’s population have a lot of influence in the state’s politics. In last few assembly polls, BJP’s vote share in tribal-dominated seats was almost equal to that of Congress.