BJP in fix over OBC sub-quota issue

New Delhi: Troubles for the BJP-led NDA alliance in the politically crucial state Uttar Pradesh seems to be mounting even as it faces a tough challenge posed by the SP-BSP-RLD’s caste arithmetic in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

After O.P. Rajbhar led Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) threatened to quit the NDA fold over the non-implementation of the OBC sub-quota issue, another ally — Apna Dal (Sonelal) leaders, including Union minister Anupriya Patel — met Congress top brass on Thursday as the party is unhappy with the way its leadership is being “treated” by BJP in the state. According to sources, BJP president Amit Shah, who had met Mr Rajbhar on Tuesday, told the SBSP chief that the BJP Central leadership and the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government is in no mood to implement the recommendations of the Social Justice Committee report on quota within quota among the OBCs and dalits in a hurry.

Once hailed as a “masterstroke” of the Yogi Adityanath-led government, the OBC sub-quota issue has put BJP in a fix.

Mr Shah met Mr Adityanath and his deputies, K.P. Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, late on Wednesday night to discuss the quota within quota issue, which is also going to affect Apna Dal’s core vote bank — the Patels.

For the BJP poll managers, any action on the recommendations of the report, which is yet to be tabled in the state Assembly, would be like “opening Pandora’s box” as the recommendations include splitting the 27 per cent OBC quota into three categories — Pichda Varg (backward class) at 7 per cent, Ati Pichda Varg (more backward) at 11 per cent, and the Atyant Pichda Varg (most backward) at 9 per cent.    

Also, the Apna Dal is said to be miffed with the BJP Central leadership for not reaching out to it. Both the Apna Dal and the SBSP are also unhappy over the pending seat sharing formula in UP as the crucial Lok Sabha poll is just around the corner.