Sticking to his gun that BJP could succeed in 2019 lok Sabha polls only if the party vigorously pursued the agenda of economic and political empowerment of Most Backward Castes (MBCs), Suheldeo Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbar on Tuesday said the ‘quota within quota’ for MBCs would prove to be a ‘brahmastra’ for the BJP.
Rajbhar is also a minister in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet. Reiterating his stand that the BJP has alienated the MBCs by chosing to select an upper caste Chief Minister, Rajbhar said that now the quota within quota was the only hope left for the BJP to woo backwards in the elections. “If there is no quota within quota for MBCs and for Dalits, then tough days are ahead for the BJP,’’ felt Rajbhar. He said that the Chief Minister announced implementation of quota within quota in UP Assembly, but nothing has happened so far. Rajbhar said that the ball was expected to be set rolling after National Backward Commission’s report which is due to be released this month. “The Rohini-Kulkurni Committee report is slated to be submitted on June 20. This should pave way for the quota within quota for MBCs. Besides, BJP chief Amit Shah also informed me that it would be implemented six months before lok Sabha polls,” he said.
The SBSP chief said that OBCs have the highest share in the population of around 56 per cent in UP and their vote share in each of the 80 lok Sabha seats was around 5-6 lakh. “The BJP needs to address aspirations of MBCs, who have been denied the benefit of quota in the last three decades. The only solution to these issues was quota within quota for MBCs. If we work on them, then the BJP would be in very comfortable position in the 2019 lok Sabha polls,” Rajbhar commented.
“There is no rift within the alliance in the state after my open criticism of the BJP and the government. The SBSP is committed to continuing with the BJP till 2024 and there is no question of parting ways,’’ the SBSP stressed.