Union Home Minister Amit Shah has made a significant appeal to Haryana’s Other Backward Classes (OBCs), urging them to secure a “full majority” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state. Addressing a ‘Backward Classes Samman Sammelan’ in Mahendragarh, Shah emphasized the importance of a robust BJP-led administration, one that doesn’t rely on coalition “crutches” for survival.
With Assembly elections looming around October, Shah’s call to action underscores the critical role of OBCs and upper caste voters in the BJP’s strategy. Their support is pivotal for the BJP’s ambition to form the government in Haryana for a third consecutive term and to counter the Congress’ consolidation of Jat and Dalit voters, which proved effective in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The Congress, leveraging this coalition, secured five out of Haryana’s ten Lok Sabha seats, reflecting a significant political shift.
Shah highlighted the OBC identity of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, painting him as a champion for backward classes. He accused the Congress of being anti-backward classes, suggesting that a Congress-led government would divert OBC reservations to Muslims, as he claimed occurred in Karnataka. “I have not come here for a government that will have to rest on crutches. The OBC samaj has to ensure a full majority government,” he declared.
This was Shah’s second visit to Haryana in less than a month, during which he praised the Saini-led government for increasing the annual income limit for the creamy layer of OBCs from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh. He also highlighted the chief minister’s recent announcement to boost the reservation for backward classes in Group-A and Group-B posts from 15 percent to 27 percent, aligning with central government policies.
While the central government collectively classifies ‘socially and educationally backward classes’ as OBCs, Haryana refers to these communities as ‘backward classes’ (BCs). These BCs are further divided into BC-A, comprising 72 castes, and BC-B, including relatively better-off castes like Ahirs and Gujjars.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress capitalized on its support base, winning seats in Ambala and Sirsa (reserved for Scheduled Castes) and in the Jat-dominated constituencies of Sonepat, Rohtak, and Hisar. In contrast, the BJP secured victories in Karnal, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, and Kurukshetra, thanks to the support from OBCs and upper castes. Notably, the BJP’s vote share dropped from 58.20 percent in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls to 46.11 percent in 2024. The combined opposition, under the INDIA bloc, achieved a vote share of 47.61 percent, with the Congress alone capturing 43.67 percent.
In March, amid Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s demand for a nationwide caste census, the BJP replaced Manohar Lal Khattar, a Punjabi upper caste, with Saini, an OBC, as Haryana’s chief minister. According to the 2011 Census, Haryana’s population is 19.35 percent Scheduled Castes, with Jats estimated at 27 percent, OBCs at 38 percent, and the rest upper castes.
At the public meeting, Shah pointed to the Narendra Modi-led council of ministers, noting that 27 Union ministers hail from backward classes, including two from Haryana. He praised Saini for his accessibility and responsiveness to the people. Responding to Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s ‘Haryana Maange Hisab’ campaign, Shah retorted, “Hooda sahab, you have to give an account of 10 years of misgovernance and depriving Haryana of development.”
Shah concluded his address with a personal note, “I am the son of a Baniya, I have come with an account for every single penny,” emphasizing the BJP’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
The BJP had previously won a simple majority in the 2014 Assembly polls but fell short in 2019, leading to a coalition government. As the state heads toward the 2024 Assembly elections, Shah’s rallying cry aims to mobilize OBC support to secure a decisive BJP victory.
