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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Congress promises 9% UP job quota for muslims by Bharti Jain

Congress promises 9% UP job quota for muslims by Bharti Jain

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published Published on Jan 10, 2012   modified Modified on Jan 10, 2012

After leaving its rivals in Uttar Pradesh, barring BJP, tongue-tied with its poll-eve announcement of 4.5% minority quota in central jobs, Congress has flashed yet another ace by wooing the community with the promise of 9% reservation, also within the existing 27% OBC quota, in state government jobs if voted to power. 

The promise will be made in Congress' election manifesto for Uttar Pradesh. Salman Khurshid, who is part of the manifesto drafting team, said more than eight castes such as Mansoori and Qureshi will benefit from the move. 

The quota promise is aimed at blunting the Samajwadi Party's perceived advantage among Muslim voters. The community, which accounts for 16% of UP's population, can play the decider in at least 85 assembly segments. In 85 seats, Muslims constitute more than 20% of voters. Mulayam's strongholds of Rampur and Sambhal have as much as 61% Muslim voters. 

Congress' decision to play the Muslim quota card appears to stem from an assessment that the issue will not polarise the electorate as BJP is seen to be an under-performer in the state. In any case, the 4.5% central quota did not lead to any major public protest. 

But things could become difficult if BJP tries to fuel the OBC unease over their shrinking share in the reservation pie. The signs of BJP playing the Backward card are already visible from its decision to stick with Babu Singh Kushwaha despite caning from the opinion-making classes. 

The non-Yadav Backwards and the politically unaffiliated among the MBCs are certain to be wooed aggressively by BJP. Unlike other parties that have to reserve a large share of seats for Muslims, BJP will have a bigger kitty to accommodate MBCs. 

Sources in BJP said there is a proposal to field Uma Bharti, a Lodh, and Vinay Katiyar, a Kurmi, in the coming polls. The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister has a safe seat in Babina, a constituency in the Bundelkhand region. This suggestion, however, is yet to get the approval of BJP leadership. 

Congress must be calculating that a larger support from Muslims can offset the advantage for its nearest challenger BJP's backward outreach. It is hoping that the second prominent OBC grouping - Kurmis - will keep the party in good stead. 

Congress performed exceedingly well in the Kurmi-Muslim belt that extends from Bareilly to the Devipatan region in the east. It has given a pride of place for Kurmi leader Beni Prasad Verma, by bestowing him with a Cabinet rank in the Union ministry. Verma is a permanent fixture in Rahul Gandhi's campaign meetings in Uttar Pradesh. 

Announcing Congress plans to provide 9% quota for Backward Muslims in UP, Khurshid reminded the voters that the UPA government at the Centre had already taken a decision to provide 4.5% reservation for minorities within the existing 27% OBC quota. Though opposition parties termed the move as inadequate, such an initiative had never been taken by any government, he said.


The Economic Times, 10 January, 2012, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/congress-promises-9-up-job-quota-for-muslims/articleshow/11429608.cms


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