The big rush for OBC vote bank and questioning PM Modi's OBC status

Vibha Sharma

Chandigarh, November 22

Speaking at a public rally in poll-bound Rajasthan, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “forged” the OBC (Other Backward Classes) tag for himself for political gains.

PM Modi is from Modh-Ghanchi (teli) community, which was not in OBC earlier but after becoming the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he put it in the backward class category, Kharge alleged, sparking angry responses from the BJP leaders who accused Congress of harbouring “deep-seated hatred for the PM and OBC community”.

PM’s OBC status

This is not the first time PM Modi has faced the accusation of including his community in the OBC bracket or labelled a “fake OBC”.

In fact the allegations originated from the Congress unit in Gujarat ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when Modi was still the chief minister of the state.

Responding to their charge, the Gujarat government cited its two-decade old notification which says the Modh-Ghanchi (oil-pressers) caste was included in OBC categories. “The Social Welfare Department of the Gujarat Government has passed a notification on July 25, 1994  which included 36 castes as OBCs and at number 25(b) Modh-Ghanchi caste has been mentioned to which Narendra Modi belongs. The caste has been included amongst OBCs,” the state spokesperson said.

Basically, according to the BJP, it was done in 1994 when the Congress ruled Gujarat as well as the Centre.

However, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BSP supremo Mayawati also accused PM Modi of being a “fake backward”, saying that he got the certificate by “using the state machinery as the CM.”

Hitting back, PM Modi said that he in fact belonged to the most backward caste, “which is so minuscule you may not even trace a single house of my caste in a village”.

At one point in time, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also dubbed him a “fake OBC”.

More recently Bihar CM Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) claimed that PM Modi was not willing to conduct a caste census because he fears his “lie” about his OBC status would get exposed.

Alleging that the PM “belonged to a forward class and fears that the truth will be out and hence does not want to do a caste census”, party leader Neeraj Kumar also questioned Modi’s claim that he belonged to an “ati pichhda” (extremely backward classes) community.

Wooing OBCs 

According to JDU leaders “there are also documents on record to show that in the early 19th century, Modh Ghanchis had petitioned the British government that they be counted among Baniyas and not among Ghanchis with whom they never interdined or had matrimonial alliances,” according to JD(U) leaders.

Bihar leaders also believe that the caste survey conducted by the Nitish Kumar government has created a buzz across the country and thrown the BJP in a tizzy.

Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) parties have pledged a caste census across the country if voted to power and its leaders claim that the BJP’s “discomfort over the promise is evident.”

The Congress has also announced that if elected to power, it would conduct a caste census and remove the 50 per cent ceiling for reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBCs.

Will OBC gamble work?

Observers, in fact, say that results from Hindi heartland states —Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — will determine the parties strategies for 2024 Lok Sabha elections and also if the renewed focus on consolidating OBCs will work to reduce the influence of Hindutva, a key pillar of BJP’s electoral politics.

However, the opinion is divided on the renewed OBC focus.

PM Modi’s popularity as an OBC leader has diminished Congress support in the community. Observers say OBC voters played an important role in BJP wins in the last two elections in 2014 and 2019.

PM Modi has given the community significant representation in his council of ministers and the BJP believes the OBCs will help PM Modi get his third term in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Political importance of OBCs

When it comes to politics, OBCs are seen as one social group, an important vote block even though OBC reservations are not at par with SC/ST reservations.

Based on surveys conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) and National Family and Health Survey (NFHS), other backward classes constitute around 43.3 to 43.8 per cent of the population.

The figure is apart from the SC/ST population, which is around 22 per cent.

In 2007, the NSSO pegged OBCs at 40.94 per cent, SCs at 19.59 per cent, STs at 8.63 per cent and the rest at 30.80 per cent. A similar survey in 1999-2000 had put OBCs at around 35 per cent.

Though extrapolating the 1931 Census report, surveys etc, the Mandal Commission estimated OBCs around 52 per cent.

“The population of OBCs, both Hindu and non-Hindu, is around 52% of the total population of India. Accordingly 52% of all posts under the Central government should be reserved for them. But this provision may go against the law laid down in a number of Supreme Court judgments wherein it has been held that the total quantum of reservation under Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution should be below 50%.

“In view of this, the proposed reservation for OBCs would have to be pegged at a figure which when added to 22.5% for SCs and STs, remains below 50%. In view of this legal constraint, the Commission is obliged to recommend a reservation of 27% only, even though their (OBC) population is almost twice this figure”, according to reports quoting the commission.