JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh, known as "Lalan," has voiced suspicions of BJP involvement in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the recent increase in quotas for socially deprived castes in Bihar. The PIL, set to be heard in the Patna High Court, has raised concerns within JD(U) about the BJP's stance on reservations. Lalan accused the BJP of being anti-reservation and cited past instances where the party allegedly attempted to challenge quotas for extremely backward classes and hinder caste surveys ordered by the Nitish Kumar government.
Lalan expressed confidence that the legislation passed recently, which increased reserved seats to 75%, including a 10% quota for economically weaker sections, would withstand legal scrutiny. Meanwhile, former Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, a senior BJP leader, countered by alleging that the PIL was orchestrated by the ruling Mahagathbandhan in Bihar to defame the BJP.
Modi highlighted the historical context of OBC quotas in Bihar, pointing out that they were introduced in the 1970s, when Jan Sangh (BJP's predecessor) was part of the ruling coalition. He criticized the Congress and RJD for not reserving seats for OBCs during panchayat polls and argued that backward classes received their due only when a coalition government, including the BJP, took charge.
Modi also credited the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for introducing the 10% Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota, breaching the 50% cap set by the Supreme Court. According to Modi, this groundwork enabled the Bihar government to raise quotas for SCs, STs, OBCs, and EBCs.
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