Jaipur: Following the party high command, the Rajasthan Congress has formed an OBC Advisory Council in the state that will work to integrate marginalized OBC communities into the mainstream of development in the future.
The OBC Council comprises 31 members and 28 special invitees. Harshaya Yadav, State President of the Rajasthan Congress OBC Department, has been appointed as the convener of the council. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, State Congress President Govind Singh Dotasara, and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot have been appointed as members.
National Coordinator of the Congress OBC Department Rajendra Sen said that the council will work to integrate marginalized OBC communities into the mainstream under the nationwide campaign launched by Rahul Gandhi The council will meet soon to discuss the strategy.
Notably, 2011 census data indicates that OBCs constituted 47.3% of Rajasthan's population; however, this figure is estimated to reach 55 percent of the population now, and with this number, OBCs are a significant and politically influential demographic, and their dominance is primarily concentrated in specific regions rather than being statewide.
The Jat community, one of the most prominent OBC groups, has a long history of political mobilization and dominance in specific areas like Bharatpur and Dholpur in Eastern Rajasthan and the Shekhawati and Marwar regions in Northwest Rajasthan.
Other influential OBC communities include Malis, Yadavs, and Kumhars, who also have pockets of dominance in various constituencies across the state. Gurjars were also under OBC, but after the quota stir, they are now part of Most Backward Classes in Rajasthan.
