Patna,(BiharTimes): A quarter century after the implementation of the recommendations of the Mandal Commission report and subse-quent pro- and anti-reservation agitation RJD chief Lalu Prasad has been reminded about writing a book on the issue, which changed politics in large part of north India.

Not only Lalu even chief minister Nitish Kumar and his political oppo-nents are hoping to cash in on the Mandal factor. BJP president Amit Shah, once again, raked up the issue of Narendra Modi’s backward caste when, like the last year, the saffron party is expecting a big sup-port from the upper castes.

Though the party is leaving no stone unturned to woo the backwards, especially the EBCs as well as Dalits, it is not yet very sure about get-ting their overwhelming votes. Even during the Narendra Modi wave last year 53 per cent EBCs and 42 per cent Dalits voted for the BJP against 78 per cent upper castes.

Recent developments are being looked in the background of the arrest of two ruling party MLAs Anant Singh and then Sunil Pandey. Though they both have don like images and were arrested in cases which were criminal in nature, yet one thing is common in both. They come from Bhumihar castes, which till June 16, 2013, was very strongly behind Nitish Kumar. The slogan “Kurmi ko Taj aur Bhumihar ka Raj” (Throne to a Kurmi, but rule of Bhumihars) was often quoted in the political circle.

But after Nitish kicked out the BJP and gradually drifted to his old friend and Bade Bhai Lalu Prasad the duo deemed it fit to consolidate the backward castes as during the heydays of Mandal years of early 1990s. While the EBCs are a conglomeration of well over a hundred castes the OBCs––Yadavs, Kurmis, Koeris and Banias––have substan-tial population and influence. While Yadav and Kurmis are strongly with the JD(U)-RJD combine and Banias tilting towards the natural ally, the BJP, the Koeris seem somewhat divided. 

As Kurmis benefited during the 15 years of Lalu-Rabri regime but shifted to Nitish after the two parted ways in 1994 the Koeris were no doubt beneficiaries of the Nitish Kumar regime. But after the advent of Upendra Kushwaha a substantial number of them shifted towards the RLSP. 

Now it is being alleged that Nitish is deliberately cracking down on the Bhumihar criminals as this move may make him dear him in the eyes of the backwards, especially Yadavs and Kurmis. Anant Singh’s ‘goon-dardi’––as is being alleged––is not a new phenomenon. Even the Patna high court’s activism against the violation of PMC rules––Anant is one of the main violators––failed to yield much result. 

Similarly Sunil Pandey’s name figured in the killing of Ranvir Sena chiefr, Brahmeshwar Singh, on June 1, 2012. His brother Hulas Pandey too is notorious for all sorts of activities. Yet the Nitish government took action now in different cases.

Political observers are of the view that the ruling combine in Bihar now wants to push the Bhumihar voters into the BJP fold as it would help them in whipping up anti-upper caste passion and polarising the votes. This was quite evident during Lalu’s Raj Bhawan March on July 13 to demand the release of caste data. The RJD got support from Nitish and state Congress.

Lalu, in particular, would get more backward caste, especially Yadav votes, when the upper castes, especially Bhumihars, vote whole-heartedly for the BJP. If this does not happen many other small Yadav leaders like Pappu, Daddan, Ritlal etc may cut votes and harm the prospect. Whether Nitish-Lalu duo succeed this time or not is a differ-ent matter?

Similarly, the BJP is caught between the devil and the deep sea. Their leaders scream about Jungle Raj everyday. But they have not yet wel-comed the move of the state government to get rid of two terrors of the state. This is obviously because the party does not want to lose the support of the most influential upper caste of Bihar.

Not only that the MP of the alliance partner RLSP, Arun Kumar, also a Bhumihar, uttered ‘would smash the chest’ of Nitish Kumar while ad-dressing in the BJP headquarters with its state president Mangal Pandey besides him.