Urban Mirror Correspondent
New Delhi, January 23: The Lok Gathbandhan Party (LGP) said the castiest political parties have been desperately trying to push the country to the quagmire of “quota politics†to serve their vested interest in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. The LGP said devoid of developmental and welfare issues these parties have fallen back on reservation gimmick after announcement of 10% quota to economically weaker section (EWS) in the country.
The spokesman of the LGP said here on Wednesday that this directionless attitude is reflected in outlandish and unworkable suggestion of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar favouring quotas for various castes in proportion to their respective share in population. The spokesman said that with an eye on the Lok Sabha poll the quota politics is becoming shriller thereby threatening to divide the society irreparably. The spokesman said this is an effort for “Mandal Two†situation for further split in the country. Pointing out that already some castes, demanding separate quota for themselves, are unhappy with 10% forward quota, the spokesman said this does not augur well for balanced development of the country. The spokesman said instead of talking about inclusive growth, the caste-based political parties are raising the demand for increasing OBC quota on the ground that present percentage is disproportionate to the population. This is nothing but a surreptitious move to go for another round of Mandal, the spokesman commented.
The spokesman said even 10% forward quota is also a pre-poll gimmick, as in the absence of government jobs, which have shrunk considerably, the decision is unlikely to benefit the targeted group. The spokesman said the BJP’s move to offer poll lollipop to forward classes has in fact prompted the likes of Nitish Kumar to demand population based reservation, which is nothing but diversionary tactics to deviate the attention of the people from basic problems. The spokesman said had the NDA government effectively performed on economic front it would have automatically helped in generation of employment opportunities for every section of the people. In view of 11 million job losses last year and economic situation under stress, the announcement is another election balloon, the spokesman said and added the present move is simply out of political desperation and the NDA doesnot have time to implement it.
