This story is from May 15, 2022

Congress quota pitch aims at Dalits and tribals

Congress quota pitch aims at Dalits and tribals
UDAIPUR: Lobbing a quota bombshell with an eye on social justice groups, Congress on Saturday demanded that the Centre institute reservation in the private sector, bring women’s reservation bill with a sub-quota for SC/ST/OBCs, and promulgate reservation for OBCs in legislatures. The party also renewed the demand for caste census and sought a law on SC/ST sub-plan.
The demand, put forth by senior leaders Salman Khurshid, Digvijaya Singh and Kumari Selja, touches upon sensitive issues that find traction with the target groups, but which the ruling BJP has been wary of touching.
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For Congress, the aggression on the quota front via a raft of nettlesome policy proposals appears aimed at signalling an outreach to the important Mandal bloc as also Dalits and tribals, and to corner BJP which has spread its footprint among weaker sections at its expense.
During the debate in Parliament on the 127th Constitution Amendment Bill to restore the rights of states to identify the OBCs in August 2021, a united opposition demanded caste census and removal of 50% cap on reservation, demands that the Modi government steered clear of. The issues are still part of the opposition debate in Bihar and Maharashtra.
Asked why the UPA in power had opposed the sub-quota in women’s bill that was a core demand of OBC parties, Khurshid said it was difficult to hammer out a consensus among allies in a coalition government, and that Congress was not opposed to sub-quota. To a question, he clarified that the sub-quota will also include minorities.
The private sector quota is a ticklish issue and the possibility of a legislation to enforce it was deliberated in detail during the UPA, but the government later left it to the corporates to do it voluntarily. A committee on the subject still exists in the PMO.

The plea to provide OBC quota in assembly and Parliament, as it exists for SCs/STs, is a first in political debate and highly controversial.
Given BJP’s reluctance to be aggressive on caste quota for fear of angering its core base of upper castes, Congress seems to believe that it can try to test the rival’s nerve and woo the marginalised sections.
With the objective of rebranding itself as a champion of social justice while looking for political revival, Congress is likely to introduce new measures in the party organization — like enhancing the SC/ST/OBC/minority quota in party committees from booth to elite CWC level from 20% to 50%, creation of a ‘social justice advisory council’ for party president, making mandatory a meeting of CWC and state committees every six months to deliberate on the issues of marginalized groups.
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