RJD focuses on quota in Bihar; bets on 2015 plan

PATNA: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which is leading the ‘mahagatbandhan’, or grand alliance, in Bihar, is betting on its 2015 assembly poll strategy to trump the BJP-JDU this time. The party’s campaign is centred on the reservation issue.

Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, RJD leader and former deputy chief minister of Bihar, is repeatedly stating in campaigns that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to do away with reservation. He has been pointing out that the NDA government has introduced 10% reservation for the economically backward sections, which will affect the backwards and other scheduled castes.

Ahead of Assembly elections in Bihar in 2015, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s call for a review of reservation policies had led to a political uproar. The JDU and RJD, which had jointly fought the election, had used Bhagwat’s statement to corner votes of the reserved categories.


At rallies this time, Yadav has alleged that the NDA-led government is moving ahead with sub-categorisation of the 27% quota for other backward classes (OBCs). “Modi government has breached the 50% cap by providing 10% reservation for economically backward sections. Quota must be provided to ST, SC and OBCs in proportion of their population,” he said at a rally. “The BJP will end quotas of Kushwaha, Patel, Koeri, Kurmi, Dangi and Ahirs, and will finally withdraw quota of the extremely backward classes.”