LUCKNOW, April 13 -- With the 2027 assembly elections less than a year away, wooing Dalits seems to be the flavour of politics in Uttar Pradesh. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to undertake a massive special exercise on the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar on April 14 in all assembly constituencies across the state, where local public representatives (MPs, MLAs, MLCs) will inform people about the 'Dr Ambedkar Murti Vikas Yojana' and the sites selected under this initiative. The scheme covers Ambedkar statues installed in public places such as government land, municipal bodies and panchayats. The works include installation of umbrellas or canopies over the statues, construction of boundary walls, and beautification through enhanced greenery and lighting as part of their protection. In addition to Dr Ambedkar's, statues of social justice leaders like Sant Ravidas, Sant Kabirdas, Jyotiba Phule and Maharishi Valmiki will also be included under the scheme, with the first phase covering statues installed till December 31, 2025. On April 7, the Yogi Adityanath government released Rs.403 crore for the upkeep and maintenance of Dr Ambedkar's statues across the state. Each assembly constituency was allocated Rs.1 crore. A maximum amount of Rs.10 lakh will be approved for the development and beautification of each statue, with around 10 statues in each assembly constituency to be revamped this financial year. "Special programmes will be organised in all assembly constituencies in the state on April 14, where local public representatives (MPs, MLAs, MLCs) will inform the public about the scheme and the selected sites for this project," said Asim Arun, minister of state (independent charge) for social welfare. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had made formally announced this project on December 6, 2025, at an event organised by the Ambedkar Mahasabha in the state capital to mark Dr Ambedkar's death anniversary, also known as Mahaparinirvan Diwas. Dalit ideologue Dr Ambedkar was once considered the exclusive domain of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), but with Dalit politics gaining prominence, every political party now claims to be a torch-bearer of Babasaheb's ideology. The ruling BJP and the principal opposition Samajwadi Party are vying to fill the void apparently left by the BSP in Dalit politics. The state urban development department has been tasked with identifying Dr Ambedkar statues in urban areas, while the panchayat raj department will do so in rural areas. The social welfare department will coordinate with both departments to execute the project. Seen as a challenge BSP supremo Mayawati's hegemony on Ambedkar memorials, the BJP government's Ambedkar memorial project is nearing completion. Former President of India Ram Nath Kovind had laid the foundation stone of the 'Bharat Ratna Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial and Cultural Centre' in Lucknow on June 29, 2021. "Most of the construction work is complete, and the auditorium is currently under construction. The state government has set a deadline of July 2026 for its completion," said Lalji Nirmal, BJP MLC and chairman of Ambedkar Mahasabha. The memorial is coming up on a 5,493.52 sq metre nazul land in front of the Aishbagh Eidgah. The Rs.45.04-crore project features a 25-foot copper statue of Babasaheb, a 500-seat auditorium, a library and a research centre. The project is also being seen as the BJP's answer to the BSP's grand Ambedkar memorial spread over 107 acres in Gomti Nagar, which came up during Mayawati's tenure as chief minister in 2008....