27% OBC candidates feature in Congress l for MP polls

The Congress party has given tickets to 62 candidates belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) to contest in upcoming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, in the two candidates l announced so far. In 2018, 60 OBC candidates were given tickets. Congress has declared all but one candidate for elections to the 230-member assembly in Madhya Pradesh (Representative Photo) The party has released two ls of 229 candidates for the 230-member assembly in Madhya Pradesh, where polling will be held on November 17. The lone seat for which a ticket has not been announced, is reserved for a Scheduled Tribe candidate. According to a senior Congress leader, the party has given 27% of tickets to the OBC candidates which is as per the party’s promise to provide 27% reservation to the OBC community in government jobs once it is voted to power. Also Read: Congress releases second l of 85 candidates for Madhya Pradesh assembly polls Selection of the OBC candidates comes in the backdrop of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s continued thrust on caste census while underlining the insignificant number of posts the OBC members were occupying at the highest positions in the government machinery. According to the Madhya Pradesh OBC Welfare Commission, OBCs constitute about 48% of the state’s voters in the state. However, no caste survey has been done to know the exact share of OBCs. Gandhi had earlier this month, during a rally in Madhya Pradesh, said his party would conduct a caste-based census to know the exact number of OBC people living in the country if it is voted to power at the Centre. A Congress functionary said that there is no significant increase for OBC candidates as the party tried to strike a “correct” caste and community balance in the ticket dribution. Of the 148 seats non-reserved, the party has given tickets to upper castes, Rajputs and Brahmins in 80 seats, and two tickets have been given to Muslims. In 2018, 74 tickets were given to the upper castes. The state assembly has 47 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes and 35 for Scheduled Castes. Babele, media coordinator of state Congress president Kamal Nath said that of the 229 candidates who have featured in the l so far, 48 are tribals, and 34 belong to the ST. The l also features 30 women candidates. Also Read: MP election: Congress fields 69 sitting MLAs in 1st l of 144 candidates He said that there are 178 candidates below the age of 60 years of whom 99 are below the age of 50 years. State Congress media in-charge KK Mishra said at least 10 sitting MLAs have been dropped from the l. In some cases, family members of the MLAs who have been dropped, are in the l of candidates. A party functionary said the Congress leadership is waiting for the decision of the high court on a petition filed state adminrative officer Nisha Bangre who has tendered her resignation but the state government is delaying accepting her resignation, hence the court battle. As per the functionary, if Bangre’s resignation is accepted she is the most suitable candidate for the party for the SC seat. “Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!” Click here! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ranjan Srivastava leads HT’s coverage from Bhopal. He has spent more than two decades in journalism in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, covering political and other affairs. For the past 16 years, he has been working in Madhya Pradesh. …view detail