Nitish’s poll push centres on caste survey, quota, special category status

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Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is seeking to mobilise support in the state mainly around three issues – caste survey, reservation and special category status – to ensure electoral gains for the ruling Mahagathbandhan, the ‘grand alliance’ of his JDU, RJD, Congress and Left parties.

Since there is no opposition from the BJP either on the caste survey report or reservation in the state, Kumar is finding it hard to position the ruling alliance as the sole contender for the votes of the other backward classes (OBCs), most backward classes (MBCs), Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

More than two months after the JD (U) started the Karpoori Charcha programme to gauge the public opinion on the caste survey report, the party is now preparing to celebrate the birth centenary year of veteran socialist Karpoori Thakur on January 24 at a grand scale.

Although most of the political parties in Bihar, including the BJP, celebrate Karpoori Jayanti every year, the JD (U) wants to remain ahead in claiming the political legacy of Karpoori Thakur by highlighting the caste survey report and subsequent increase in the quota for the OBCs, MBCs, SCs and STs.

The party – which has already demanded the Bharat Ratna for Bihar’s former CM Karpoori Thakur, who is acknowledged as a master of social engineering experiments in the state – is seeking to thwart any chances of a dent in its support among MBC voters. It has already attempted to woo SC voters by organising a separate programme, Bhim Sansad, in Patna recently.

This week, CM Nitish Kumar held a meeting with his party’s senior leaders, including those who play the role of speakers in the Karpoori Charcha programme, to discuss the plan for celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of Karpoori Thakur at his official residence in Patna. All JD (U) MPs and MLAs have been engaged to motivate voters, particularly youths, to attend the centenary celebrations.Meanwhile, the party has tasked its youth wing to tour the state through another programme – Vishesh Rajya Sankalp Padayatra – aimed at keeping the demand for special category status for Bihar alive. The march originated from West Champaran’s Bettiah city, known for its association with Mahatma Gandhi, on December 11.Meanwhile, the JD (U) is planning to hold a meeting of its national executive in Delhi on December 29.

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