BJP led NDA government likely to bring bill on 10% reservation in jobs for general catagory. Cabinet clears the decision.

Finding itself in a defensive position in view of the increasing attacks of the Congress party and rest of the anti BJP opposition on the Rafale Jet Fighters imbroglio n especially after its shameful defeat in the recent legislative elections of three Hindi heartland states viz Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh due to annoyance of the forward castes n the loan waivers of the farming community having been fulfilled within ten days of Rahul Gandhi’s party coming to power, the BJP led NDA too is trying to announce populist concessions to beget majority community votes in the general election of 2019 .

On 8th January the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs of the BJP led NDA government led by prime minister Narendra Modi has cleared a significant decision to accord ten percent reservation to the forward classes of the country whose annual income is below 8 lakhs per annum.

Such an unexpected announcement to give ten percent reservation to the forward castes with poor or deprived economic background is a decision that requires constitutional amendment.

There have been repeated demands for reservation for the economically deprived forward classes since long but no government at the centre or states have ever fulfilled this demand or even taken it seriously as there is no provision for reservation for the general catagory in the Indian constitution nor are these catagories considered as a definite vote bank.

The court does not permit more than 49% reservation in government jobs which include 27% reservation for SC/ST’s and rest for the Other Backward Classes. However in Tamilnadu there is reservation up to 67% passed by the state assembly.

However fearing defeat due to the higher caste votes going against it in the general election the union government is bringing a bill on 10% reservation in jobs for the economically deprived classes of the general catagory in the Lok Sabha by Tuesday. While the BJP n its NDA allies have a majority in the Lok Sabha, it’s running short of majority in the upper house.

The government will have to bring the constitutional amendment through a legislation which will have to be ratified by both the houses of parliament. For this it will have to amend the sections 15 n 16 of the reservation act in the constitution.

The reservation to the general catagory could be effected only if the necessary amendements are made in both these sections.

It may be recalled that the bill on Muslim women Triple Divorce had been passed by Lok Sabha twice but it got stuck in the Rajya Sabha as the BJP led NDA lacks majority in the upper house n the entire non BJP opposition parties want the Triple Talaq bill to be referred to the parliament’s select committee. However, in this case the situation is just opposite.

The national elections are few months ahead and no political party, except SP n BSP would like to take the risk of opposing this important issue for the fear of losing the votes of the upper castes, particularly when majority of the SC, ST n OBC community votes have been siphoned off by SP n BSP n other regional parties, particularly in the politically significant state like UP. The Congress party in particular has not opposed this initiative of the BJP but has rather tried to take the credit by saying that it had been demanding reservation for the economically weaker sections in the upper classes since long, clearly indicating that it will support this move in the upper house.

Keeping in view the impending national election it is believed that though the government is too enthusiastic about bringing the legislation on 10% reservation to the general catagory but will it really become a reality depends on the attitude of the anti BJP opposition parties in the upper house where the BJP lacks necessary majority. While the parties like Congress may back the legislation though not so conveniently the parties like BSP, SP etc will outrightly oppose it apprehensive of losing their SC/ ST n beckward community votes.

It may be recalled that in the last election of 2014 the BJP has won in 140 seats dominated by the upper caste votes. This decision of the Modi government will impact about 179 seats in 14 states dominated by upper caste votes out of the total 341 constituencies in the country but it remains to bee seen whether the saffron party will really benefit from this legislation granting10% reservation to the economically backward catagories in upper castes in govt jobs n college addmissions. However the morale of the BJP is too high and the bill is likely to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on 9th January, Tusday with whip introduced by BJP in the house for the mandatory presence of all its MPs.