Bihar Elections 2020: Nitish Kumar Backs For Population Based Reservation, BJP Disagrees With The CM

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday backed population-based reservation for castes but said it can only be implemented after census data is available.

Bihar Elections 2020: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addressed a rally in West Champaran district of Bihar ahead of the second phase of polling of the Bihar elections. The Bihar CM put forth his views regarding the issue of population-based reservation for jobs and education opportunities in the state, he said that while his government was in favour of such an initiative it could only be implemented with fresh census data. Also Read|PM Modi Paid Tribute To Sardar Patel On Ekta Diwas, Warned Leaders Politicising Sacrifice Of Pulwama Martyrs The JDU chief was addressing voters in West Champaran district, where a by-poll for the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat is due November 7. However he likely also had one eye on the ongoing Bihar Assembly elections, the final two phases of which will be held on November 3 and 7. "... as far as the question of the population(-based reservation) is concerned, this can only be decided after the census and that decision (on conducting the census) is not in our hands. We want reservation be proportionate to population of castes," Nitish Kumar said. However, the Bihar CM did not clarify if he was referring to caste-based census data. The Chief Minister has repeatedly demanded such data be part of that gathered by the census.

BJP and JD(U) differ on Opinions

However, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad sought to temper such statements by pointing out that while his party supported reservation it would not do anything unconstitutional. The JDU chief was addressing voters in West Champaran district, where a by-poll for the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat is due November 7.

Bihar assembly elections 2020

Polling in 71 seats in the first phase of Bihar assembly elections was completed on October 28, with voter turnout at 54.26%. The other two phases of the Bihar election are on November 3 and November 7, and the results will be announced on November 10.