Congress backing 50% quota hike shows party’s will to form new social alliances

The Congress Working Committee CWC resolution In Hyderabad backing an increase in the 50 per cent quota limits in the existing reservations for SC, ST, and OBC is indicative of the Grand Old Party's willingness to shed its post-Mandal inhibition to forge new social alliances.

The cautious approach on reservations seems to have given way to a more categorical commitment to breach the quota threshold of 50 percent after having successfully tested the waters on larger OBC mobilization in Karnataka elections where party leader Rahul Gandhi mooted the idea and demanded caste census to back an increase in the quota pie.

In the neighboring Telangana too, Congress senses an opportunity to rally intermediary and deprived sections, especially in the wake of BJP replacing Bandi Sanjay- a vociferous critic of CM Chandrashekhar Rao- with union minister G Kishan Reddy as state president.

Though BJP has sought to nominate Etala Rajendra- another backward caste leader and a friend turned foe of KCR- as campaign committee chief, the last-minute reshuffle in the pack engenders possibilities of new caste alignments.

At the national level, the tactical change in Congress’ line on quotas emanates from a realization that the party needs to proactively dabble in backward-class politics to challenge BJP’s domination of national politics. The backward classes together form the biggest building block in Indian polity, as their population is upward of 40 percent. And BJP under the extended Hindu umbrella has so far been successful in mobilising a large section of these communities.

In recent years, the demand for the breach of the 50 percent ceiling set by the Supreme Court on reservations has been triggered by the Modi government's decision to make 10 percent reservations for Economically Weaker Sections over and above the SC, ST, and OBC quota. A decision that was upheld by the Supreme Court though it breached the 50 percent mark.

Soon, citing the SC order, two Congress-ruled states, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand moved bills to increase reservations in their respective states. The laws, though passed, are yet to get approval from the respective state governors.

Secondly, Congress has in recent years benefitted from backing strong backward-class leaders like Siddaramaiah in Karnataka, Bhupesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh and Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan.

In heartland states, UP and Bihar, the decision to back caste census is in sync with its regional allies like RJD, JDU, and SP.