Rahul Gandhi for quota within quota in UP

In a bid to mount pressure on the BJP, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday reached out to the Most Backward Class (MBC) by virtually pushing for a quota within quota. After the culmination of his Kisan Yatra across Uttar Pradesh, Mr Gandhi announced that if his party came to power in the state, it would give reservation to MBCs out of the 27 per cent reservation slated for Other Backward Castes (OBCs).

Mr Gandhi, party general secretary incharge of Uttar Pradesh Ghulam Nahi Azad and UP Congress chief Raj Babbar on Saturday met the leaders of the most backward castes from across UP at Congress headquarters in Delhi.

The Congress, lagging far behind in the electoral race in the state, which at this juncture is being lead by the BSP and BJP, has now decided to go all out to woo the OBCs and MBCs.

Arguing in support of the “quote within quota” move, Mr Azad said that “in UP 27 per cent reservation is given to the OBCs but only few sub castes are benefitted from this reservation.” He maintained that the MBC leaders had been appealing to Mr Gandhi over the issue for quite some time. “MBC leaders appealed to Rahul that the they should get reservation within the 27 per cent reservation set for the OBCs.”

It was further pointed out that nearly 10 states, including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, have already implemented this formula. And that there are certain sub castes which do not benefit from the current reservation structure.

As per the 2011 census, the population of OBCs in Uttar Pradesh is about 40 per cent and there are nearly 25 sub-castes, prominent among them being Rajbhar, Nishad, Kashyap, Kahar and Kumhar.

Earlier, unleashing its “charm offensive,” the Congress had promised loan waiver to farmers in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress has been trying to maintain a precarious balance. While on one hand it has been holding dalit sammelans, it has also projected an upper caste face by making Sheila Dikshit its chief ministerial candidate.