Patna: The BJP-led NDA, under fire over the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, will go all out to celebrate BR Ambedkar's birth anniversary on April 14 in Bihar and woo the aggrieved marginalised sections of the society whose votes will be crucial in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The biggest programme will be organised by the LJP at SK Memorial Hall here. Chief minister Nitish Kumar, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, state and central BJP leaders, including Union ministers, and RLSP leader and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha will be among those who will attend the function organised by central minister and Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan's party.

Dalit leaders from all the NDA constituents will attend the programme that is being seen as a show of the Dalit muscle of the alliance.

Dalits and Mahadalits constitute around 16 per cent of Bihar's roughly 11-crore population.

"The Opposition - RJD and Congress - is formidable here, claiming around 30 per cent of votes: Yadavs and Muslims," a senior JDU leader said. "HAMS leader Jitan Ram Manjhi is also siding with him (RJD chief Lalu Prasad). If we want to counter them successfully, we need to have Dalits and Mahadalits on our side."

A highly placed NDA source re-confirmed what The Telegraph had earlier reported: Nitish is expected to announce the inclusion of the Paswan caste under the Mahadalit category. "With this Bihar will have no Dalits left. All will be Mahadalits," the source said.

Ram Vilas, Nitish and Kushwaha are going to share the dais after a while. There has been speculation whether the non-BJP NDA constituents from Bihar could unite to chalk their own course.

The NDA parties also plan to celebrate Ambedkar Jayanti separately. For example, the JDU will organise a huge programme at Haj Bhawan in Patna and the BJP has planned three-day celebrations from April 13.

"We are going to celebrate Ambedkar Jayanti right from the panchayat and block levels to district and state headquarters. We will spread Ambedkar's message and also highlight the work by the chief minister for the welfare of Dalits," said JDU state Mahadalit cell chief Hulesh Manjhi.

He admitted there is distrust among the Dalits due to the Centre curtailing pro-poor welfare schemes, and doubts over the Narenda Modi government's plans on reservation. "These have to be addressed publicly," Hulesh said.