Lucknow, Feb 6 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh Congress Minority Cell Head Shahnawaz Alam on Tuesday said that the party is working hard to consolidate the Muslim and Dalit votes in the state to touch the ‘Target 41’.

The Uttar Pradesh sends the highest numbers of MPs -- 80 -- to the parliament and consists of 20 per cent Muslims and 21 per cent Dalits

Alam said that more than two hundred Maulanas in every district of the state and about 10,000 Maulanas in the entire state have been contacted.

He said that the party has urged them to improve social relations with the Dalit community so that a bond can develop between the two communities.

“We are trying to convince both of the dangers looming over the Constitution. We are telling Dalits and Muslims that if they vote together, they can prove to be a game changer. Put together, they account for 41 per cent votes in the state,” Alam said.

He said that the BJP got 31 per cent in 2014 and 37 per cent in 2019.

He said to raise awareness among the two communities they are also distributing pamphlets as part of the campaign.

“Till 1989, Muslims and Dalits used to vote together for the Congress. In those years, BJP had only 2 MPs in the entire country. If Muslims and Dalits come back and vote for Congress again then BJP will reach back again to the 1980s position,” reads the pamphlet.

Alam said that 272 seats were needed to form the government. “If we will be able to get 30 seats from UP then BJP will not be able to form the government because its constituent parties will also leave it,” Alam said.

Alam said that the pamphlet also mentions that in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra, there are 180 Lok Sabha seats, out of which NDA will lose 20 seats.