Tejashwi Yadav unveils ‘reservation masterplan’, sparks political storm in Bihar

Patna: A fresh political storm is brewing in Bihar after Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav unveiled a sweeping ‘Reservation Masterplan’ on social media on Friday.

The move, widely seen as a direct response to the Centre’s caste census announcement, is expected to reshape the social justice discourse in the run-up to the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.

In a detailed post on platform X, Tejashwi Yadav outlined an ambitious roadmap to enhance the representation and participation of backward classes, extremely backward classes (EBCs), Dalits, and other marginalized groups across various sectors.

Key proposals in the masterplan include creation of reserved constituencies for OBC/EBC communities; reservation in the private sector; quotas in government and private contracts; reservation in the judiciary; full implementation of pending Mandal Commission recommendations; proportional reservation based on caste census data; and a demand for special state status and an economic package for Bihar.

Calling the proposal “just the beginning,” Tejashwi declared that the plan would redefine Bihar’s politics and elevate the decades-long struggle for social justice, which he attributed to RJD and his father Lalu Prasad Yadav’s legacy.

Launching a sharp attack on the BJP and RSS, he said, “These Sanghis and BJP leaders who abuse us today have eventually adopted our agenda as their own masterstroke.”

He accused the BJP of resisting genuine social justice and relying on diversionary tactics, asserting that the Centre’s caste census initiative was driven by sustained socialist pressure rather than the BJP’s intent.

The announcement has triggered strong reactions from the RJD supporters, while the BJP and its allies are yet to respond.

With the Bihar Assembly elections looming, Tejashwi’s aggressive positioning on reservation and caste equity may force the NDA to recalibrate its strategy.

IANS