The RJD criticized the JD(U)-BJP government for not giving special state status to Bihar in the central government’s budget. In response, Nitish Kumar took a major step to silence the opposition. The chief minister’s actions not only shocked and saddened the RJD but also the BJP.
When Bihar did not get special state status, the RJD targeted both JDU and BJP. To counter the opposition, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made a strategic move that left everyone without a response. Besides this issue, Nitish Kumar introduced a new strategy, using reservation as a ‘Brahmastra’. Angered by the opposition’s uproar, he addressed two issues simultaneously. He told the opposition, “Even though we have not received special state status, what we have received from the Centre is unprecedented.” Congress party leaders have acknowledged this.
Moreover, Nitish stated, “Our government is making every possible effort to reinstate the revised reservation limit of 65% for Bihar, which was canceled by the Patna High Court. We have also requested the Centre to include it in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.”
Proceedings in the Bihar Legislative Assembly on Wednesday were repeatedly disrupted by Opposition members who demanded the inclusion of the amended reserves law in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. Bihar Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav had to work hard to restore order. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also tried to intervene, but the opposition MLAs were not convinced. Subsequently, Nitish made a significant statement to silence the opposition.
65% Quota Provision in the 9th Schedule: A Way Forward
Nitish said, “You all agreed to a caste-based census, which led to an increase in the quota for SC, ST, OBC, and extremely backward classes. After the Patna High Court canceled the reservation laws, we approached the Supreme Court. A formal request has also been made to the Centre to include these laws in the Ninth Schedule.”
The reservation laws passed in November last year increased the quota for disadvantaged castes to 65%, which was annulled by the Patna High Court last month. By placing these laws in the Ninth Schedule, they would be exempt from judicial review, despite violating the Supreme Court’s 50% reservation limit.
Nitish Said – We Are Happy with the Package Given to Bihar
It’s worth noting that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman showed great generosity to the alliance partners in the first budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term. When the Modi government at the center failed to secure a full majority on its own and was short of 32 MPs, JDU-TDP became significant allies. Bihar received four times more funding than Andhra Pradesh. NDA ally Nitish Kumar received 59,000 crores, while Naidu got 15,000 crores.
As soon as Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech ended, Nitish Kumar responded to Bihar’s substantial allocation, saying, “We were consistently demanding special status. We had asked them (NDA) to give us a special status or a special package. They gave me a special package. The central government has announced assistance for many things. Aid has been announced to help Bihar. The whole of Bihar is happy with this.”