PATNA: The Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) chief Rajesh Kumar (Ram) has asserted that the party will follow the principle of ‘Jiski jitni hissedari, uski utni bhagidari” (The share depends on the level of participation) when distributing tickets for the upcoming state assembly elections.
Ram, a prominent Dalit face of Congress in the state, said that the party would ensure tickets to all castes, communities, and organisations in proportion to their population.
In an exclusive interview with this newspaper, Ram exuded confidence that grand alliance, which is a part of Opposition INDIA bloc, would perform better in the state polls, paving the way for formation of next government by secular forces.
He, however, admitted that caste factors continue to play a major role in states like Bihar and UP. Even BJP by deviation from its plank of ‘Hindutva’ has started talking about caste equations in elections. Party leaders, including PM Narendra Modi, do not hesitate in revealing their castes at public places, he added.
The state Congress chief said that his party’s main focus was on increasing participation of OBCs, EBCs, and minorities in the organisation. He, however, admitted that as of now, representation of OBCs and EBCs in the organisation was not in the right proportion, but this anomaly would be rectified as the state party committee was being reconstituted. At least four people from EBCs would be given tickets in the Assembly election, he added.
On Modi government’s announcement on conducting caste census, Ram said that the credit for it should definitely go to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who had been demanding for it since long. He said that caste census should be conducted on Telangana model as only then would social justice be ensured.
Reservation quotas, including for the EWS, was 76% in Telangana, Ram added. He, however, lamented that the Nitish government failed to frame policies on the basis of caste and economic survey conducted in Bihar. The BPCC chief said that the party manifesto would include Mai Bahin Samman Yojana, free electricity up to 200 units, and filling up of 4 lakh vacant government posts.
He said these are not mere announcements as experts in Delhi have also worked on the financial viability of these programmes.