LUCKNOW: The Yogi Adityanath government is working on a plan to increase the representations of OBC subgroups which have largely remained underrepresented in the government sector despite being given reservation benefits over the years.
Confirming the development, UP minister for backward caste welfare Narendra Kashyap said that a drive to evaluate the representation of OBC subgroups in the government has been launched. “It will help us take corrective measures for increasing the number of the underrepresented OBC subgroups in the government departments,” he told TOI. While a full-fledged caste census is yet to be conducted by the government, primarily the Centre, the state government exercise may prove to be a sharp pointer to socio-economically weak subgroups which, notably, determine electoral fortunes of political parties.
UP identifies 79 subgroups amongst the OBCs, of which Yadav, Kurmi and Lodh are relatively more influential than the other OBC sub-castes. “We need to strike a balance, so that all OBC sub-castes get their due benefits. We follow the principle of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas...,” Kashyap said. Government sources said that the exercise is conducted on regular intervals to assess OBC representations in various sectors.
Electorally, the OBCs account for around 45% to 50% of the total voting population in UP. While Yadavs form the core vote base of the Samajwadi Party, Kurmis have been aligning steadfastly with BJP ally and Anupriya Patel-led Apna Dal (S). Likewise, the Lodhs had been staunchly backing the BJP since the 1990s following the rise of former CM Kalyan Singh. Experts insisted that it was the less influential backward bloc which the BJP has been seeking to consolidate in the run-up to 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The development also comes almost four years after a social justice committee headed by retired Allahabad high court judge Raghavendra Kumar in October 2018 submitted a report to the state government recommending a split in the 27% OBC quota into three categories – Pichhda Varg (Backward Class) who get 7%; the Ati Pichda (More Backward) who get 11% and the Atyant Pichda (Most Backward) who get 9% reservation. The panel listed 79 sub-castes under the OBC category. Of these, nine fall under Backward Class, 37 under More Backward and 33 under Most Backward categories.
Sources said that the ruling saffron dispensation sought to tread cautiously in taking a call on the recommendations of the committee that could potentially set defining terms and conditions for the various OBC subgroups. Experts said that the BJP sought to expand its social coalitions following its return to power after the UP elections and then the electoral success in the Azamgarh and Rampur by-polls.
