As Rajasthan prepares for elections, caste-based groups want representation

Ahead of assembly elections due this year end, all major communities in the state have started calling caste-based mass meetings to show their supremacy and increase their political representation.

After Jat community's mass meeting on March 5 in Jaipur where Jat leaders from ruling and opposition parties sought top political positions and representation, Brahmin community too has called its Mahapanchayat in Jaipur on March 19. Rajput community had organised meeting December last year in Jaipur.

The meeting of Brahmin community is also expected to be attended by political leaders cutting across the party line.

Vipra Sena Chief and organiser of Brahmin Mahapanchayat, Sunil Tiwari is all set for a show of strength.

Though he called the event a social programme, Tiwari made no bones about community's demand for increase in political representation.

"It is a social event where community people will gather. The community has its demands as well. Both the BJP and Congress should give tickets on 40 seats dominated by Brahmin community," Tiwari said.

Among the other demands of the community were -- the formation of a Vipra Commission, that the incident of violence against priests be made non-bailable just as it is under SC/ST Act, declaring Parshuram Jayanti a national holiday, and that EWS perks be given on the lines of OBC reservation.

Besides a greater political representation in the centre and in Rajasthan, the Jat community is also asking for a caste survey.

"As Jats constitute around 21 per cent of the population of Rajasthan, Congress and BJP should give at least 40 tickets each to Jat candidates. This is what leaders expressed in the Mahapanchayat," Rajasthan Jat Mahasabha president Rajaram Meel said.

Congress MLA and a Jat leader Harish Choudhary demanded for a caste survey to get insights into how well-off Jat community is and what needs to be done for them.

To swing Jat community in its favour, the ruling Congress announced forming a Veer Tejaji Board ahead of its mass meeting. Tejaji is a deity of Jat community.

Another example of Congress government's social engineering is formation of three new boards Rajasthan Leather Craft Development Board, Rajasthan State Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Board (Mali community), and Rajasthan State Rajak (Dhobi) Welfare Board. Mali caste in Rajasthan comes under OBC, while Dhobhi (washerman) and those involved in leather trade come under SC community.

Earlier also, boards were constituted by various government based on the craft or community such as Vipra Welfare Board for Brahmin community, Mati Kala Board for potter community, Kesh Kala Board for Sains from barber community, and Devnarayan Board for Gujjar community.

Deputy leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore said the people have lost their faith on the government and the CM is now trying to lure them with boards formed on caste lines.

Congress spokesperson RC Choudhary said that it is the government's responsibility to ensure their social, economic and political participation and the Boards have been formed to ensure participation of backward, poor and deprived communities.

Political commentators say that caste-based organisations are trying to put pressure on political parties for better representations through mass meetings and get maximum benefit ahead of assembly polls.

Jats, Brahmins are major vote banks and the way the government has fulfilled their demands, may provoke the other castes to come on streets, they said.