Bengaluru, June 7: With the goal of securing political representation for the exploited, backward classes, and nomadic communities, the ‘Vikassheel Insaan Party’ (VIP) officially entered Karnataka politics on Sunday.
Former Bihar Minister and party founder Mukesh Sahani officially launched the state unit of the party at a press conference and convention held at a private hotel in Bengaluru. The party expressed confidence in emerging as a new political force in the state by contesting in the upcoming Gram, Taluk, and Zilla Panchayat elections.
Struggle for Laborers’ Rights.
Addressing the event, party founder Mukesh Sahani recalled his impoverished background and his journey of political struggle. He stated that having been born into a fisherman’s family and having grown up working in Mumbai for a daily wage of just thirty rupees, he entered politics for the rights and power of the exploited society. He clarified that his fight will not stop until the fishermen and backward communities—known by hundreds of names across the country including Nishad, Koli, and Mallah—get appropriate reservation and representation.
Thundering that he has never compromised for the sake of power, he defended his decision not to compromise with the BJP even if it meant losing his ministerial position. He poignantly remarked that even if they live in a hut, they will remain kings (Badshahs), but they will never be slaves in anyone’s palace for the sake of power.
Partnership Proportionate to Population
Sahani clarified that the VIP party, which is part of the ‘I.N.D.I.A’ alliance at the national level, supports Rahul Gandhi’s ideology that reservation and power should be shared according to the population (“Jiski Jitni Sankhya Bhari, Uski Utni Hissedari”). He announced that after the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections, an extensive ‘Sankalpa Yatra’ will be undertaken across Karnataka to unite the exploited communities in every corner of the state. He expressed the inclination to build a strong organization encompassing people of all castes and religions under the leadership of the party’s state Vice-President, B.K. Mohan Kumar.
Five Assurances for the Upliftment of Backward Classes.
Speaking at the convention, the party’s State Vice-President B.K. Mohan Kumar said that the VIP party is a ray of hope for the backward communities who are being used merely as a vote bank. On this occasion, he announced the five major assurances of the party. Their main goal is to formulate housing and employment schemes for poverty eradication among the most backward and nomadic castes, provide compulsory education and health guarantee schemes, and ensure mandatory political representation for underprivileged communities from local bodies to the Parliament. In addition to this, he announced the significant resolve to improve the standard of living of the exploited by developing their residential areas, and to establish and develop Mutts and Peethas at the taluk and district levels for the cultural and spiritual upliftment of the communities.
Support of Saints and Seers.
This grand inaugura convention witnessed unprecedented support from various pontiffs, saints, and seers of the state. More than one hundred and fifty Gurujis, many dignitaries including retired Delhi Commissioner B.K. Singh, and national leaders who arrived from Bihar were present. An appeal was made to the pontiffs on this occasion to support the VIP party, which is the voice of the exploited, and to guide the society forward.
