The politics of reservation are proving to be a thorn in the side for the BJP. The party has traditionally been seen as catering to upper castes, yet it painstakingly crafted an image as a OBC-friendly party. However, the current political climate has caught the party in a bind. In a blow to the NDA government led by Nitish Kumar in Bihar, the Patna High Court, on Thursday, struck down a November 2023 law, which sought to hike quotas for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and extremely backward classes (EBC) in government jobs and educational institutions from 50% to 65%. The Supreme Court has previously nullified quotas exceeding 50%, and this ruling throws Bihar's politics into a pivotal juncture, especially for the Bharatiya Janata Party, which now faces a significantly complicated situation. Although the BJP is supporting the state government's decision to challenge this law in court, such support does not come easily. Let’s explore why the BJP finds itself between a rock and a hard place.
1- BJP's Upper Caste Politics
There's no debating that the BJP has received consistent support from the upper castes in Bihar, with core voters from Brahmin, Thakur, Bhumihar, Kayastha, Baniya communities and more. Yet, due to the pressure from OBC and Dalit voters, the BJP desires to maintain its pro-backward image. This could explain why the BJP, despite having more seats in the assembly than JD(U), has settled for a deputy CM position in the state, letting Nitish Kumar enjoy a free reign with fewer MLAs. With Nitish Kumar being the guarantor for backward and extremely backward class votes in Bihar, the BJP's success in Lok Sabha elections is substantially attributed to him. Since the law for increasing reservation was Nitish Kumar's dream project, BJP cannot afford to ignore it. Though the BJP also supported caste-based census, it’s clear that neither this nor increasing quota is a priority for them. Despite this, they are compelled to support both in Bihar, though it’s uncertain how much inroad they can make into backward voters. Nevertheless, to maintain a pro-backward image, the BJP is opposing the Bihar High Court's decision in the Supreme Court.
2- RSS Statements and Right-Wing Influencers in Bihar
The BJP has been actively working for Dalit and OBC welfare, which includes supporting reservation. However, the RSS, the BJP's parent organization, and right-wing YouTubers have consistently opposed reservation. Even though RSS has evolved its ideology, the ghost of the Sangh chief's anti-reservation statement in 2015 occasionally resurfaces. Hardliner right-wing handles run agendas in favor of BJP all day but turn critical when it comes to reservation.
3- Congress Promises Higher Quota in Manifesto
The challenge for BJP is that Congress is emerging as a key player in OBC and Dalit politics. Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly endorsed caste census and emphasized the negligible representation of backward classes in decision-making. Congress has leveraged the 'Save Constitution' and 'Save Reservation' narrative against the BJP and promised to increase the quota in their manifesto, likely to focus more on this issue.
4- Demand for Inclusion in Ninth Schedule
The BJP will be challenged to accommodate the demand from JD(U), its significant partner in the central government, to place the new quota legislation in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, which makes it difficult for laws to be challenged in court. JD(U) has evolved as an important player, both in Bihar and on the national front, making its demands hard to ignore.
