Caste as a ticket to Lok Sabha

Bihar Times, 30th March 2009

Soroor Ahmed

(Bihar Times): Caste continues to play an important role in the distribution of tickets to candidates in Bihar. Though chief minister Nitish Kumar is trying to make development an election issue two of his important ministers and several other leaders left the party on the plea that the respective castes were ignored in the distribution of tickets. Ironically, it is only in the case with the Janata Dal (United) that the denial of ticket to the respective caste became an excuse for deserting the party.

Nagmani left the cabinet alleging that the chief minister had humiliated Koeris, while Nitish Mishra made it a point stating that not a single Brahmin got ticket though they always stood behind the Janata Dal (U). Before leaving the party, MLA Lallan Paswan held the present administration responsible for what he said the worst plight of Dalits in the last 60 years.

In Bihar media continue to play up caste break-up of the candidates and analyzing the poll prospect of different parties in that perspective. The argument is simple: if development is an issue, which are the castes benefited by it and which are left behind. And if Lalu Yadav is the master in social engineering Nitish Kumar is experiment his own formula. Of all the parties he has given maximum––four seats–– to the Extreme Backward Castes. They form 29 per cent of the state population but are divided into over 100 castes.

The most surprising aspect is that the four major parties have fielded only three Kurmis in the entire state, though it is considered as a ruling caste in Bihar. Barring the Janata Dal (United), which gave tickets to two Kurmi only LJP gave ticket to a Kurmi. In the last election the entire NDA gave ticket to just one Kurmi––Nitish Kumar, who contested from Barh as well as Nalanda.

Whether Lalu is at the top of the affairs in the state or not Yadavs continue to dominate so far the number of candidates is concerned. The four major parties in the fray gave ticket to 17 Yadavs, to be followed by 17 Dalits, 15 Rajputs, 14 Muslims, 13 Bhumihars, nine Brahmins, seven EBCs, six Koeris and Vaishyas, three Kurmis and one Kayasth. The RJD has not announced its candidates from Madhepura and Patna Saheb while Congress has so far announced only 30 seats. However, there is likelihood of increase in Kayasth and Yadav figure as either Congress or RJD is likely to put up the candidate from this caste from Patna Saheb. Though Kayasth still has a good say in the state bureaucracy their political marginalization is making many community leader sit up and ponder.

However, it needs to be mentioned that Yadavs form the largest social group after Dalits while in comparison Kurmi is numerically a small caste. The Dalits got so much seats because they have six out of 40 seats reserved for them.

While the ruling Janata Dal (United) gave ticket to four Yadavs, EBCs and Dalits, three Koeris, Rajputs and Bhumihars and two Kurmis and Muslims also got ticket. Though it concentrated mainly on the EBC yet it did not give a single seat to Vaishya, Brahimin and Kayasth, though all these three castes whole-heartedly voted for it in 2005 assembly election. Its over reliance on Bhumihars, and subsequently to balance it on Rajputs, led to the resentment in a section of Brahmins and Kayasths too. Incidentally, apart from Brishen Patel from Siwan, the other Kurmi in contest is Kaushlendra, a political greenhorn, from Nalanda.

The BJP tried to compensate the Vaishyas, Brahmins and Kayasths. While three Rajputs are contesting on its ticket, two tickets each were given to Vaishyas, Bhumihars, Brahmins and Dalits. One Kayastha, EBC, Yadav and Muslim are also in the BJP list while it did not field any Koeri and Kurmi candidate.

The RJD continue to remain the M-Y party with Dalits also getting their due. Eight Yadavs and five Muslims are so far in the fray. The number of Yadav may go up as either Madhepura or Patna Saheb is likely to have a Yadav candidate. This is followed by four Rajputs and Dalits, two Koeris, Bhumihar, Brahmin and EBC got one each. The party did not field any Kurmi, Vaishya and Kayasth. There is talk that it may put up a Kayasth from Patna Saheb. In Siwan it has given ticket to Hina Shahab, the wife of jailed party MP, Mohammad Shahabuddin while Madhepura may go to just out from jail, Pappu Yadav. The RJD had the credit to politically improve the lot of EBCs, but today it gave ticket to only one from this section of the society. Ram Badan Rai, who incidentally left Janata Dal (United) earlier this month, is likely to give a stiff challenge to state Janata Dal (United) president, Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh. What is strange is that though the RJD is considered as a backward caste party it has so far given tickets to six upper castemen.

Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP gave two tickets each to Muslims, Bhumihars, Brahimins and Dalits while one ticket each went to Yadav, Kurmi, Rajput and EBC. None from Koeri, Kayastha and Vaishya caste got ticket. Surprisingly, the two Dalits who got tickets are Paswan himself and his younger brother Ram Chandra. From Nawada it gave ticket to the wife of controversial Bhumihar ganglord, Suraj Bhan Singh.

Congress, which till now has announced the name of only 30 candidates, has put up five Bhumihars and Dalits, four Vaishyas, Rajputs, Brahmins and Muslims, three Yadavs and one Koeri. One of the Yadavs is Sadhu, the brother-in-law of Lalu. So far it has not given any ticket to Kurmi, Kayasth and EBC.

Castes	JD(U)	BJP	RJD	LJP	Cong	Total
Seats declared	25	15	26	12	30	108
Yadav	4	1	8	1	3	17
Koeri	3	0	2	0	1	6
Kurmi	2	0	0	1	0	3
Vaishya	0	2	0	0	4	6
Bhumihar	3	2	1	2	5	13
Rajput	3	3	4	1	4	15
Brahmin	0	2	1	2	4	9
Kayasth	0	1	0	0	0	1
EBC	4	1	1	1	0	7
Dalit	4	2	4	2	5	17
Muslim	2	1	5	2	4	14

http://bihartimes.com/Newsbihar/2009/March/Newsbihar30March3.html