Patna: In a significant move ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will organise a large-scale conference for the Mali-Malakar community at the Bapu Auditorium in Patna on July 6. The event, seen as part of a broader caste-based outreach strategy, aims to showcase the political strength and concerns of the community.
Hundreds of representatives from the Mali community gathered at the BJP state office on Tuesday to finalise the preparations. The meeting unanimously decided to hold the conference to assert the community’s presence and press for greater participation in political and administrative spaces.
Key demands raised during the preparatory meeting included setting up a government-regulated flower market system, political representation for Mali leaders, recruitment to vacant government posts, and the conferring of the Bharat Ratna on social reformers Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule. Pictures of the Phules were displayed prominently during the event.
Health Minister Mangal Pandey, who inaugurated the meeting by lighting a ceremonial lamp, praised the organisational strength of the Mali community. He credited the community’s alliance with the NDA for the current political stability under Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar.
Land Reforms and Revenue Minister Sanjay Saraogi reaffirmed the party’s commitment to ensuring the community’s inclusion in both organisational roles and governance. He cited the reservation granted to backward classes by the NDA government as a key factor enabling greater grassroots participation by the Mali community.
Prabhat Malakar, BJP media co-incharge, acknowledged the large population of the Mali community but noted their under-representation in leadership roles. He urged the party to provide fair representation in MLA, MP, and internal organisational positions.
The July 6 conference is expected to draw participants from across Bihar. Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Sinha, BJP State President Dilip Jaiswal, and Bihar in-charge Vinod Tawde are among the prominent leaders expected to attend.
