To create awareness about the recently released caste survey report in Bihar, separate teams of ruling coalition partners Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal (United) have begun visiting different Assembly constituencies, for mass public interactions ahead of the upcoming general election next year.
The parties are focused on Extremely Backward Class (EBC), Scheduled Caste (SC) and Other Backward Class (OBC) sections which together account for over 82% of the State population, according to the caste survey. JD(U) is said to have covered 63 of total 243 Assembly constituencies in the State so far.
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Sources in RJD told The Hindu that the party has asked leaders from EBC, OBC and SC groups to reach out to community groups in their respective regions with data of the survey and stress the significance of increasing reservation for the communities “in view of their numerical strength”. “The EBC cell of the RJD, armed with the caste survey, is already holding small meetings at block and district levels”, said senior party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui. The party has formed four teams for each division of the State to help in better outreach while roping in village heads to explain the significance of the survey to common people, said a party leader, preferring anonymity.
Similarly, JD(U) too has chalked out plans. Party insiders said seven teams have been formed, each consisting of two groups — one for visiting people (jan sampark) and the other for oratory, to apprise people of the findings. “We have launched programmes like Karpoori pe Charcha [Discussion on Karpoori] and have already covered 63 Assembly seats. The rest of the constituencies too will be covered in coming months,” said party leader Ravindra Prasad Singh. Late socialist leader Karpoori Thakur was a former Bihar Chief Minister and belonged to the EBC group. He is known for championing the cause of the backward classes.
Initially, the party was holding outreach programmes two days a week — Saturday and Sunday, but now has decided to conduct rallies on all days to cover all 243 Assembly constituencies ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
Besides, JD(U) has also planned to hold a Bhim Sansad (Bhim Parliament), a meeting for the SC community, in Patna on November 5. The party on October 10 had flagged off several Bhim Sansad Raths to different parts of the State to cover more people ahead of the November meeting. Party leaders from SC community such as Ashok Chaudhary, Sunil Kumar, and Ratnesh Sada have been asked to hit the road and monitor the mobilisation. “With our Bhim Sansad Raths we are meeting several people and are asking them to join hands to make the November meeting a big success”, Mr. Choudhary said.
The two principal ruling Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) parties also see the caste survey as an effective political and electoral tool against the BJP’s “politics of polarisation” on religious lines.
Political analyst and former professor of Patna University Nawal Kishore Choudhary said “the survey was done to reignite and revive caste polarisation as in the 1990s during the Mandal Commission report for reservation.” “This is to counter BJP’s politics of polarisation on religious lines. This survey and parties trying to gain electoral dividend by reaching out to people and telling them about their numerical strength, will surely have its impact on the general election next year and the State Assembly election in 2025”, said political analyst Ajay Kumar.
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The survey said EBCs accounted for 36.0148% of the population and OBCs 27.1286%, with both communities together forming 63.13% of the population. SCs comprised 19.65% against the previous estimate of 16%. The Grand Alliance leaders have now started demanding a nationwide caste census.
The Opposition BJP in the State has raised questions over the survey, calling it an “exaggerated, fake, and faulty” exercise. “The survey was done in haste and has many flaws”, said State party president Samrat Choudhary.
