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BJP plays backward caste card to counter ‘Mandal’ politics
Patna: In a bid to counter the ‘Mandal’ politics of the grand alliance in the Bihar assembly polls, particularly Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad’s pitch for ‘backward versus upper caste fight’, the BJP is playing the backward castes card.
In order to woo the Dalits, Other Backward Castes (OBCs) and Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ruled out any ‘sawarna’ (upper caste) person becoming the chief minister if the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won two-thirds majority in the state polls.
With ‘caste’ factor, re-entrenched by recommendations of reservations by the the Mandal Commission, again dominating the campaigning for Bihar polls, senior BJP leader and union minister Giriraj Singh said that the next Bihar chief minister would be either from the Dalits, OBCs or EBCs and not an upper caste.
“An upper caste cannot become the chief minister of Bihar; it is certain that if the BJP-led NDA comes to power, the next chief minister will be either from the OBCs or EBCs,” the union minister – who belongs to the powerful and landed Bhumihar upper caste with a strong presence in the state politics – told the media here.
The BJP leader played this ‘backward caste chief minister card’ two days after RJD chief Lalu Prasad said that the Bihar assembly polls were a fight between the backward and forward castes.
The BJP leader’s statement reflected the ground reality in Bihar and sent out a political message to OBCs and EBCs, who constitute around 50 percent of the voters in the state. He said the upper castes were only keen for the development of Bihar.
“Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar should not worry about the upper castes; they should play their caste politics to create divide and hatred in society,” Singh remarked.
Interestingly, going by the NDA list of candidates for the Bihar polls, it is clear that the party is essentially relying on the upper castes in the five-phased elections.
Of the 243 seats in the assembly, the four NDA parties have given tickets to 85 upper caste candidates, including 36 Rajputs and 28 Bhumihars, in the light of the fact that upper castes constitute approximately 14 to 15 percent of the Bihar population.
On the other hand, the grand alliance of the JD-U, RJD and the Congress has fielded 64 Yadavs – 48 of them by the RJD alone – apart from 33 Muslims. It reflects Lalu’s faith in his traditional social support base of MY (Muslim-Yadav).
The grand alliance is also relying heavily on the OBCs Koeris and Kurmis. Thirty Koeris and 17 Kurmis, who are Nitish Kumar’s caste men, have been fielded by the grand alliance.
The NDA has not declared its chief ministerial candidate and BJP president Amit Shah and other senior leaders have repeatedly said that the chief minister-to-be will be decided after the polls.
According to political observers here, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for ending caste-based politics in Bihar, a deep-rooted tussle in the BJP between leaders of the upper and other backward castes during the assembly polls has put the BJP in a dilemma.
Perhaps realising the problem, Modi and party president Amit Shah are taking steps to ensure that none of these leaders is allowed to dominate the public discourse till the elections end, fearing it may anger either of the groups and thereby lead to erosion of the party’s social support base.
In the caste-ridden Bihar politics, over half a dozen BJP leaders from the upper castes and the backward castes have staked claims to the chief ministerial chair. “All of them are lobbying hard,” a BJP leader said.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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