Ravish Kumar discusses whether Rahul Gandhi, a non-OBC leader, can become a champion of OBC politics. He notes that Rahul Gandhi has been actively engaging with the OBC community, understanding their problems, and advocating for their rights, including OBC reservation and caste census. This is a departure from the traditional Congress politics and a challenge to Narendra Modi's hegemony among the OBCs. Kumar argues that Modi's influence among the OBCs is not as strong as claimed, citing BJP's failure to win elections in several states with large OBC populations. He also points out that BJP is still struggling to connect with the OBCs, as evident from their recent attempts to woo OBC leaders and their decision to form an alliance with HD Deve Gowda's party. Kumar concludes that Rahul Gandhi's efforts to engage with the OBCs and advocate for their rights may be a game-changer in the upcoming elections.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Rahul Gandhi is not an OBC himself, but is trying to become a champion of OBC politics.
2. Narendra Modi is considered the biggest contender among the OBC segment.
3. BJP is still struggling to connect with the OBC segment.
4. Rahul Gandhi has been visiting various places to understand the problems of different professions, including porters, farmers, and vendors.
5. Rahul Gandhi has been advocating for OBC reservation and caste census.
6. The Congress party has welcomed the Women's Reservation Bill, but Rahul Gandhi has demanded OBC reservation within the bill.
7. Sonia Gandhi, Kharge, and Rahul Gandhi demanded OBC reservation in the Lok Sabha.
8. Narendra Modi's government has not conducted a caste census or population census.
9. Amit Shah stated that 85 MPs in the BJP are OBC, and 27% of MLAs across the country are OBC.
10. Rahul Gandhi pointed out that OBC MPs and MLAs have no involvement in the law-making process, and are mere "statues".
11. According to PRS data, in Modi's first term, only 27% of bills were sent to parliamentary committees, compared to 60-70% during the UPA's term.
12. The Government of India replied in Parliament that between 2018-2022, only 15.92% of IAS, IPS, and Forest officers appointed were from OBC, 7.65% from Scheduled Castes, and 3.80% from Scheduled Tribes.
13. Rahul Gandhi has accepted the past mistakes of Congress governments, including the hesitation and opposition to the Mandal Commission.
14. The BJP has been trying to project Narendra Modi as the biggest OBC supporter, but experts say that his influence among OBCs is not absolute.
15. The BJP has formed an alliance with HD Deve Gowda's party in Karnataka, despite having alleged corruption against his son Kumaraswamy.
16. The BJP has been trying to rejuvenate old OBC leaders within its party, including Om Prakash Rajbhar and HD Kumaraswamy.
17. The BJP celebrated the second death anniversary of Kalyan Singh as Hindu Pride Day in Aligarh.
18. Amit Shah, Yogi, and other prominent ministers participated in the event, speaking about the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
19. Rahul Gandhi has been meeting people from new professions and exploring new political possibilities.
20. The OBC society remains grateful to Vishwa Nath Pratap Singh and Arjun Singh, but it is unclear if they will accept a non-OBC politician as their leader.