BHOPAL: Chief Minister Kamal Nath announced quota for other backward classes (OBCs) would be raised from 14% to 27%. The Chief Minister’s move is seen as a ploy to woo voters before the Lok Sabha elections. Nath also announced giving 10% reservation to economically weaker sections (EWS). Nath made these announcements during a programme of Jai Kisan Fasal Rin Maafi Yojana in Sagar on Wednesday. BJP had been raising the demand of giving 10% of reservation to EWS in the state as done by the Centre.
EWS to get…The BJP had raised the issue in the state assembly too. Leader of opposition Gopal Bhargava too had been putting pressure on the government on this issue.
Nath, with the objective to woo OBCs, announced giving 27% reservation to them. The OBCs constitute around 42% of the state’s population. The move of Nath may bring a large section of OBC voters in support of Congress.
A large number of OBC voters tilted towards the BJP with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan belonging to OBC category. Congress, except MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, does not have any big face representing OBCs. Nath, by announcing hike in reservation to OBCs, has made an attempt to appease the whole OBC voters.
Raising reservation not easy : It is not an easy task for the state government to give 27 per cent reservation to OBCs. According to the Supreme Court, the total percentage of reservation could not increase more than 49% on caste basis. If the state government increases the percentage of reservation to OBCs then it would have to reduce the percentage of reservation to SCs and STs. For this, it would have to get a bill passed by the state assembly and send it to the President for approval.
