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As the seven MLAs took oath on Wednesday, the BJP-JD(U) government has walked a tightrope and managed to keep all important castes in the state happy ahead of assembly elections
These seven names are a careful balance of caste in a state where it matters the most electorally. (File photo/PTI)
Ahead of the assembly elections in a few months, the ruling National Democratic Alliance in Bihar went for a cabinet expansion, accommodating seven faces: Sanjay Saraogi, Sunil Kumar, Jibesh Kumar, Raju Kumar Singh, Moti Lal Prasad, Vijay Kumar Mandal, and Krishan Kumar Mantoo. These seven names are a careful balance of caste in a state where it matters the most electorally.
Krishan Kumar Mantoo is a Kurmi—a caste over which chief minister Nitish Kumar is believed to have a firm hold, given he himself is from the community. Vijay Kumar Mandal, the Araria MLA, comes from the Kewat caste. Kewats are a Scheduled Caste in Bihar. They are also known as Mallah, Nishad, and Machhuara in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. They are traditionally boatmen and fishermen.
Meanwhile, by choosing Sahebganj MLA Raju Singh, the Rajput community is also kept happy ahead of the polls. This caste traditionally formed part of the feudal elite of Bihari society. Even in the Rashtriya Janata Dal government, this community had a powerful say in the form of Raghuvansh Prasad Singh. Sanjay Saraogi has been accommodated to appease the Vaishyas. The Darbhanga area has substantial voters from the community who are believed to be the target of Saraogi’s accommodation in the Nitish cabinet.
Jibesh Mishra is from the Bhumihar caste, and he also took oath as a minister on Wednesday. In Bihar’s caste census, Bhumihars were surprisingly found to be the least economically stable among the upper castes, giving them more reason to demand a fair share in jobs and the government. Bihar’s caste census found that 27.58% of Bhumihars are considered poor. With representation in Nitish’s expanded cabinet, the Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal (United) alliance has tried to send a message.
Sunil Kumar, a Kushwaha, and Moti Lal Prasad, a Teli, have also been taken aboard by Nitish Kumar. In spite of their similarities with Kurmis, Kushwahas have a separate identity in Bihar. In regions like Samastipur in Bihar, the Kushwahas are politically strong. Rashtriya Lok Dal president Upendra Kushwaha is a senior leader at present from the community. Meanwhile, the Teli caste that Moti Lal Prasad represents is a lower Other Backward Class in Bihar since there is a classification of OBCs in the state. In April 2015, after much lobbying by the caste members, Nitish Kumar announced his decision to include the Telis in the list of Extremely Backward Classes in Bihar.
As the seven MLAs took oath on Wednesday, the BJP-JD(U) government has walked a tightrope and managed to keep all important castes in the state happy. This also signifies the geographical diversification given that north, south, and central Bihar have found adequate representation too.
