Patna: With the Bihar Assembly elections approaching, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has made a significant political move by announcing the formation of a new commission dedicated to the welfare of upper castes. This announcement comes amid growing political heat and discontent among various communities, especially after the state government’s initiative on caste-based census stirred mixed reactions.
The newly announced “Uchh Jaati Aayog” (Upper Caste Commission) aims to focus on the socio-economic development of upper caste communities in Bihar. The commission will have a tenure of three years. In a strategic balancing act, BJP leader Mahachandra Prasad Singh has been appointed as its Chairman, while JDU spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan will serve as the Vice Chairman. The move is widely seen as a response to the perceived dissatisfaction within upper caste groups following the caste census announcement.
Interestingly, this is not the first time Bihar has had a commission for upper castes. The Nitish government has restructured and revived the previously defunct Upper Caste Commission, signaling a renewed focus on inclusive electoral strategy.
The timing of the announcement is seen as a calculated attempt by the ruling NDA alliance to placate disgruntled voter bases. While the new Upper Caste Commission is clearly aimed at upper caste voters, Nitish Kumar has also taken steps to address concerns within the minority Muslim community. Just a day earlier, the Chief Minister announced the reorganization of the State Minority Commission, appointing former JDU Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Rasool Balyavi as its Chairman. Balyavi is a vocal critic of the Waqf law, a sensitive issue within the Muslim community.
These parallel developments are widely interpreted as attempts to regain the trust of both upper caste and Muslim communities—two groups showing signs of discontent with the NDA in the run-up to the elections.
The election season in Bihar is heating up. Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav continues to target the Nitish-led government on various issues, while political strategist-turned-leader Prashant Kishor has announced that his party, Jan Suraaj, will contest on all seats in the upcoming assembly polls. Though the Congress is set to ally with the RJD, it is still working to carve out its own political space in the state.
With the elections slated for later this year, analysts predict a high-stakes, multi-cornered contest.
