Summary:
Bhopal, Nov 13 (PTI) A mega event to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to mark Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas on November 15 is part of the ruling BJP"s plan to bring back tribals of Madhya Pradesh into its fold, especially after a cold shoulder from the segment in 2018 saw it lose power in the state after 15 years of uninterrupted rule.
As per the 2011 Census, tribals account for 1.53 crore, or 21.08 per cent, of the state"s 7.26 crore population, and 47 Assembly seats in the 230-member House are reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
Political observers said tribals account for at least 50,000 votes each in 35 other Assembly seats, and the segment could once again make the difference for the ruling BJP in the 2023 state polls.
The Congress had managed to trump the BJP in 2018 and attain power in the state after winning 31 of the 47 ST seats, with the rest going to the latter.
In 2003, the BJP had managed to unseat the Congress government of Digvijaya Singh by winning 37 of 41 ST seats.
The catalyst for this ride to power of the BJP, observers said, was a massive "Hindu Conference" held in Jhabua in 2002 in which over two lakh tribals took part.