Bihar election news: upper caste politics seems to be returning again in 2020

After almost three decades, upper-caste politics is seen returning to politics here. Almost all the parties have favored the upper castes in ticket distribution. Mostly RJD and JDU have been doing politics of Dalit-backward. Special care has been taken of the upper caste this time. The BJP has openly given tickets to the upper castes. LJP, the party of Ram Vilas Paswan, which is also not behind in doing the politics of Dalit-backward, has included many upper castes. However, in JDU, Nitish Kumar has made candidates from upper castes in addition to women under social engineering. In Bihar, upper-caste politics seems to be returning again.

If 60% of upper caste candidates

Taking a look at the ticket distribution so far, BJP has fielded 60% upper caste candidates. In the Congress too, the upper caste candidates are almost the same. JDU has also given the opportunity to more upper castes this time. RJD has also changed its strategy. The party has so far given tickets to more than 10 percent of the upper castes. It has fielded relatives of his party's top leaders. LJP has given tickets to more than 35 percent of upper castes.

Hindutva versus secularism: The BJP's Hindutva agenda has forced the Congress and the RJD to churn amid secular politics. This is the reason in the RJD has given fewer seats to Muslims, they have got fewer tickets than in earlier elections. It is a matter of fact that further elections are to be held in the assembly constituency with Muslim majority voters. Similarly, in the first phase, Congress has fielded only one Muslim candidate.

Dominated in this election after 1990

After 1989-90, upper-caste politics was the victim of fierce opposition. In 1990, Dr. Jagannath Mishra lost the election and Lalu Prasad was in power. Politics took such a turn that Janata Dal leaders started cursing the upper castes (Bhu - Bhumihar, Ra-Rajput, Ba-Brahmin-L-Kayastha i.e. Bhurawal) from an open platform. OBC, Dalit, and BC Golbandi strengthened the Lalu-Nitish pair. In 1992, the Brahmins left Congress and became BJP. At the same time, Ram Vilas Paswan fostered Dalit politics, Lalu and Nitish Kumar were divided on OBC politics. The Samata Party was formed in 1994. Nitish's Samata Party also promoted anti-upper caste politics.

By 1995, efforts to strengthen upper caste politics intensified. Rajput and Bhumihar leaders started coming forward. With the formation of JDU in 2003, Nitish Kumar changed his old stance and succeeded in bringing Bhumihars, a section of the upper caste. Now in 2020, all parties started worrying about the upper caste voters of Bihar. Although the suspicion of murder in Sushant Singh Rajput's death arose, among the upper castes getting tickets, all parties have given importance to Rajput candidates.