UP Assembly Polls: Chirag Paswan, Upendra Kushwaha Put Reservation At Centre Of Political Pitch

Ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly election, two key partners of the Bihar NDA have focused their campaigns on the issue of reservation benefits. The Lok Janshakti Party (Rashtriya Rajvad) led by union minister Chirag Paswan and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (Rasthriya Loktantrik Morcha) headed by Rajya Sabha member Upendra Kushwaha have made building a strong case for reservation a central part of their political pitch.

Chirag Paswan recently shared an old video from February 10, 2020 on the party's 'X' account, emphasizing the importance of reservation in the Lok Sabha. He argued that reservation was a constitutional right that needed to be protected under the 9th Schedule of the Constitution to prevent judicial challenges. When asked about the anti-quota protest at Jantar Mantar, Paswan firmly stated that reservations could not be abolished at the behest of anyone, asserting that it was a constitutional right designed to support communities that had faced social discrimination for generations. He also reiterated that reservation was not a handout but a fundamental entitlement.

On the other hand, RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha in his media interaction in Patna highlighted that Nitish Kumar had conducted a caste-based survey in Bihar, and based on the findings, the Nitish Kumar-led government decided to increase the reservation quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the state to 65 percent. Kushwaha emphasized that they were now compelled to carry forward the work initiated by Nitish Kumar, as the issue was currently under legal scrutiny.

He clarified that his earlier remarks about Nitish Kumar's political legacy at the Rajgir event were taken out of context, and that the primary concern was about ensuring the continuity of the Janata Dal (United) (JDU) party's legacy. Kushwaha emphasized that he too had a role to play in shaping the future of the JDU party.