BJP plans to highlight prompt rollback of lateral entry scheme to counter Oppn

NEW DELHI The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will focus on the alacrity shown by the Union government in announcing the rollback of the lateral entry scheme for filling positions in the bureaucracy and the unambiguous stand against the “creamy layer” within the quotas for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to outweigh concerns over the issue of sub-categorisation within these groups.

Ahead of the upcoming elections in a clutch of states, the party is also banking on the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) announced for central government employees to blunt the anger against inflation and no tax relief for the middle class in the budget.

The issue of sub-classification of SC and STs is a contentious issue, and the party fearing a backlash from the communities that are nearly 17% and 9% of the total population has not been able to articulate its stance on it. Senior party leaders said they expect the issue to dominate the narrative in the impending state elections in Haryana in October and in Maharashtra and Jharkhand later in the year.

As per Census 2011, Haryana has the 5th largest SC population in the country at 19.35%, Jharkhand has 26.2% STs and Maharashtra has 11.81% SC and 9.35% STs.

“The opposition will drive the narrative on the issue of sub-classification of castes and quotas since there is immediate response on the ground to such issues, but the [Union] government is steadfast that it will not dilute the quotas,” said a senior party functionary.

The party will highlight the government’s “quick response” to the demand to scrap lateral entry since there it did not make provisions for caste- based reservation, the functionary said. “The opposition had tried to politicise the issue, forgetting that the [Congress-led] UPA too had mooted lateral entry. But the government paid heed to the concerns of the SC and STs and scrapped the scheme and has assured that it will draft a more inclusive policy for filling positions in bureaucracy,” the functionary said.

Earlier this month, in a majority verdict, the Supreme Court said states are empowered to make sub-classifications of SCs and STs granting quotas within the reserved category. A seven-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud held by a 6:1 majority that sub-classification of SCs and STs by states can be permitted.

On August 9, the Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarified that there is no provision for a creamy layer within the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) and that the government remains committed to the welfare of the socially and economically marginalised. There was, however, no such statement about the sub-classification issue suggested by the apex court.

The court’s observation has left many in the party confounded. “In several states such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Telangana there is a demand for sub-classification and the BJP was not opposed to it. In states such as Bihar, Maharashtra and Rajasthan there are differences on the issue... in such a scenario the party will have to weigh its options before making any sweeping announcements. The focus, therefore, will be on the larger policy decisions that have benefited the SC, ST and the OBCs,” said the functionary quoted above.

In states such as Bihar, the BJP’s allies are split over the suggestion. While the Lok Jan Shakti Party has opposed sub-classification, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) is in favour of the court’s decision. The JDU has an ambivalent stance, while it does not push for sub-classification, it wants the government to take a cue from how the state helped Mahadalits, the most deprived category among the SCs by carrying out a survey to assess their deprivation.

In poll-bound Haryana, the state government has accepted the recommendations of the state commission for Scheduled Castes to create sub-classification of scheduled castes (SCs). Chief minister, Nayab Singh Saini said the commission recommended sub-classification should be done for the purpose of reservation in government jobs into two categories — the deprived scheduled castes (DSC), comprising 36 castes such as Balmikis, Dhanaks, Mazhabi Sikhs, Khatik, and the other scheduled castes (OSC), comprising castes such as Chamar, Jatia Chamar, Rehgar, Raigar, Ramdasi and Ravidasi.

Having faced electoral setbacks in states such as Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 general elections, after losing out on support from the SC and ST communities, the BJP is keen to ensure that the Opposition does not get a chance to pin the government on issues of caste-based quotas and caste census. During the general elections, the Opposition ran a campaign alleging that the BJP was seeking a brute majority of over 400 MPs in order to alter the existing caste-based reservation.

Lal Singh Ayra, head of the BJP’s SC Morcha, said the government has been working relentlessly for the empowerment of the SCs and STs and the party will highlight that. He said the focus will be on “dismantling” the “Opposition’s fake narrative” about the BJP being anti-quotas.

“For the first time seats have been reserved for the STs in Jammu and Kashmir where elections are being held next month. In every public meeting the PM has said he remains committed to the welfare of the deprived and the oppressed... the Opposition wants to mislead the masses and create fear,” he said.

While Lal did not comment on the issue of sub-classification, former Rajya Sabha MP Bhalchandra Munegekar said no state has been able to prove that some castes have benefitted more from the others and the process of sub-categorisation is difficult to undertake.

“I suggest that reservation should be limited to two generations. But those in the third generation should not be discriminated against. If they join colleges or jobs in the general category then they will lose out on reservation, but if they continue to face discrimination and exclusion then they face double jeopardy,” he said.

The party is also confident that the move to implement the unified pension scheme that allows employees to receive 50% the last drawn salary as pension (for 25 years of service and at a specific amount for minimum of 10 years) will derail the opposition’s campaign for seeking the old pension scheme.

In state polls in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana the Congress in particular had promised to revert to the old scheme. While the party has accused the government of taking U-turns, the BJP retorted that it signals the PM’s ear to the ground.

Responding to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s comment that the ‘U’ in UPS stands for Modi Govt’s U-turns, former minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Narendra Modi government takes decisions based on its own understanding... it does not believe in ad hocism. PM sunte hain, samaj te hain, aur samvedansheel rehte hain (the PM listens, understands and is sensitive).”

The BJP leader also questioned why the Congress governments in HP and Karnataka have not implemented the OPS, as was promised ahead of the state polls.

“The Congress is so wary of the palpable falsehoods of assurance about pension, it could not muster the courage to include that in the (2024) manifesto...Governing India is a serious business...ad hocism won’t work,” he said.