Now, BJP allies to focus on recognition for sub-groups

Time of India

01-05-2025

Lucknow: A day after the Centre announced the inclusion of
caste enumeration
in the forthcoming census exercise, the political spotlight on Thursday swung back to
BJP allies
' vociferous demands for the application of sub-quota within the OBC and SC/ST bracket.
Several BJP allies, particularly from the NDA in UP, like the Nishad Party and Suhaildev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), have long advocated for the recognition of caste sub-groups within the OBC and SC categories.
Their demand was rooted in the report of the Rohini Commission, which was constituted in 2017 to examine the sub-categorisation of the OBCs and to ensure equitable distribution of reservation benefits to them. The four-member commission, headed by Justice G Rohini, a retired Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, submitted its report in 2023.
The argument for sub-categorisation or creating categories within OBCs for reservation was that it ensures "equitable distribution" of representation among all OBC communities. This was accentuated in UP after a social justice committee, formed by the UP govt under the chairmanship of retired judge Justice Raghvendra Kumar, submitted its report to the state govt in 2018.
The committee recommended dividing OBC sub-castes into three categories: backward, more backward, and most backward. While 12 sub-castes were put in the backward category, 59 were put in more backward, and another 79 in most backward. A similar recommendation was made for Dalits, who were divided into three categories: Dalit, Ati Dalit, and Maha Dalit. While four sub-castes were put in the Dalit category, 31 were bracketed under Ati Dalit, and 46 under Maha Dalit.
Interestingly, BJP ally Apna Dal (S), which was in favour of the
caste census
, did not show any excitement for the social justice committee report, apparently fearing a backlash from the socially dominant Kurmi community.
To take up the issue afresh, SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, a minister in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet, met home minister Amit Shah on Thursday.
When contacted, SBSP national general secretary Arun Rajbhar affirmed that the issue is high on party's agenda.
"The party is thankful to PM Modi and the BJP's central leadership for ensuring the caste census, which will help in determining the exact social, economic, and political position of the various OBCs and the SC populace," he said.
Experts said that the decision could potentially give a leg up to the BJP over its bragging allies like the SBSP, which have been flexing political muscles vis-à-vis the caste census in their desperate bid to bolster their footprints amongst the more/most backward groups among the OBCs and SCs. Analysts also noted that sub-categorisation could reshape reservation quotas in favour of marginalised sub-castes, potentially affecting existing poll dynamics and electoral calculations.
Rajbhar said that the committee report was a clear reflection of the socio-economic conditions of the oppressed classes. Sources indicated that the SBSP has been pressing with its demand to factor in the social justice committee report to shape up a quota-within-a-quota for the OBCs and SC/ST categories.