NDA Working on Caste Balance in Bihar Polls

New Delhi: While the opposition Mahagathbandhan is fraying at the seams and allies are moving in contradictory directions, the ruling NDA has not wasted the opportunity to use the caste card to bolster its voter base ahead of the crucial Bihar elections. All NDA allies kept caste balance in mind while selecting candidates and giving tickets.

JD(U) and BJP are contesting on 101 seats each in the 243-member state Assembly. Of the 202 seats contested by JD-U and BJP, the two major partners of the ruling alliance fielded 99 candidates from Other Backward Castes (OBCs) and Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs) and 71 general candidates. All five NDA constituents together fielded 35 women candidates.

Taking caste balance into account while selecting candidates, the BJP fielded 49 candidates from the general category, followed by 40 candidates from the backward and most backward classes and 12 from the Dalit community.

Sources in the saffron party camp said the BJP leadership is trying to address social equations while keeping the traditional vote bank intact while selecting candidates. The BJP candidate list includes 21 Rajputs, 16 Bhumihars, 11 Brahmins, 13 Vaishyas, 12 EBCs, 12 Dalits, seven Kushwahas, six Yadavs, two Kurmis and one Kayastha.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) has given tickets to 37 candidates from OBCs and 22 candidates from EBC communities, which are the party’s mainstay. General upper caste candidates, who also have 22 seats, also find fairly large representation considering their thin population; but the share offered to Muslims has triggered speculations on whether the JD(U) has now given up on minority votes, given its long-standing alliance with the BJP and inability to take an independent stance on sensitive issues such as Waqf. JD(U) gave four tickets to Muslim candidates.

Keeping the caste equation right, Chirag Paswan’s LJP(RV) also kept the caste equation in mind while distributing party tickets. Five tickets were given to the Rajput and Yadav community, followed by four tickets to the Paswans and Bhumihars. LJP(RV) also gave representation to other backward and extremely backward castes.

Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM fielded his relatives in four out of six seats and Bhumihar candidates in two. Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) fielded one Bhumihar, one Rajput, three Kushwaha and one Vaishya candidate.