The issue of reservation has been influencing politics and especially electoral politics, from the last Lok Sabha elections to the state elections. Therefore, any party thinks many times before taking any step on this issue. On this issue, BJP seems to be walking on a double-edged sword. The way the Union Minister is meeting those agitating against caste-based reservation, it can have a two-way effect.
The most direct political meaning of Nadda’s meeting with the group demanding abolition of reservation is that BJP does not want to ignore the resentment of the upper caste community. The upper caste voters in UP are around 20 percent. BJP estimates that a large section of the upper castes are still with it.
BJP does not want to buy their anger, because Samajwadi Party has also started calling P as Pandit in PDA. BJP does not want the dissatisfaction among its traditional supporters on a sensitive issue like reservation to turn into political distance. In the last few months, the protests by upper caste organizations and students regarding UGC rules have given a public platform to this dissatisfaction.
Another dilemma facing BJP is that even the anti-reservation camp does not seem to be completely satisfied. The question being raised is that if BJP is not in favor of ending reservation, then what is the political meaning of such talks? The move is also creating political backlash among OBC, SC and ST communities. The party also has to remove the resentment of the upper castes and also keep the OBC-Dalit social equation strong.
This ‘war’ is visible in social media also. Even within the NDA, different voices are being heard on this issue. Is this a difference of opinions or a balancing act? Jitan Ram Manjhi and his son Santosh Suman argue that to extend the benefits of reservation to the most deprived sections, there is a need to review the existing system and create sub-categories within SC/ST.
On the other hand, Chirag Paswan says that reservation is a constitutional right to remove the inequality created by social discrimination and untouchability, dividing it in this way is not beneficial but can be socially harmful. Assembly elections are to be held in UP next year. The narrative of Constitution and reservation had become an effective political issue against BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party cannot ignore this experience.