BJP's prospects will be hampered in Bihar polls: Yechury

The BJP will suffer during the upcoming Bihar elections because of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks about reservation policy, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has claimed.
"This (the remarks) will certainly hamper BJP's prospects as the party was also looking for support from Dalit population," Yechury told reporters here yesterday.
"Barely three to four per cent of the Dalit population has benefitted from the reservation policy since 60 years of independence," he claimed.
Recently, Bhagwat had pitched for a review of the reservation policy, contending it has been used for political ends and suggesting setting up of an apolitical committee to examine who needs the facility and for how long.

"If reservation policy is criticised on the grounds that it hampers merit, there is also a question of allowing level playing field before that. However, a section of political leadership does not want the downtrodden to get a level playing field," the CPI(M) leader said.
"Now in power, BJP through RSS is fast moving towards meeting its agenda of establishing a 'Hindu Rashtra' (Hindu nation). Dadri killing is an example, where Home Guards, spread the rumours. There have been deliberate attempts to create communal hatred all over the country as a part of vote bank politics," Yechury alleged.

"A similar attempt was made in Jharkhand to create an influence on Bihar elections," he further charged.

Yechury had come to attend a meeting organised by Republican Parivar, an organisation formed two months ago by the workers affiliated to different factions of Republican Party of India (RPI).
All Left parties have come together under one banner of Left Front to provide an alternative platform other than BJP-led NDA and Janata Parivar during the Bihar elections which will begin from October 12.