CHANDIGARH: The choice of an OBC face as Haryana‘s new CM fits snugly into BJP‘s strategic outreach to the backward classes, constituting 40% of the state’s population, ahead of elections.
Many see Nayab Singh Saini catalysing BJP’s bid to polarise the non-Jat vote. That he is someone with whom predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar goes back a long way spares the saffron party the risk of collateral damage due to the sudden change.
This isn’t the first time that the BJP-led govt in Haryana has attempted to woo the backward classes with a potentially game-changing move close to elections.The saffron party previously introduced reservations for backward classes in municipality and panchayat polls, making it the first instance of a state doing so without carrying out a caste survey.
Many see Nayab Singh Saini catalysing BJP’s bid to polarise the non-Jat vote. That he is someone with whom predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar goes back a long way spares the saffron party the risk of collateral damage due to the sudden change.
This isn’t the first time that the BJP-led govt in Haryana has attempted to woo the backward classes with a potentially game-changing move close to elections.The saffron party previously introduced reservations for backward classes in municipality and panchayat polls, making it the first instance of a state doing so without carrying out a caste survey.
The proposed provision of “reserving” promotions in govt departments under the Scheduled Caste quota is seen as one such move.
Manohar Lal Khattar resigns as Haryana Chief Minister amid rift with JJP
According to statistics, SCs comprise 21% of Haryana’s population. Jats constitute 27% and other castes make up 12%.
Sources in BJP said the party leadership’s decision to appoint Saini CM as part of its social engineering exercise was based on an internal survey on anti-incumbency against Khattar. The change also reflects the presumption that Jat votes would now be divided among INLD, JJP and Congress.