BJP relies on upper caste for Bihar polls

The ticket allocation of ruling ally Bharathiya Janata Party(BJP) in poll bound Bihar shows that the party highly relies on the upper caste. Among the 110 seats, which is the share of BJP according to seat sharing agreement with alliance partner JD(U),51 are given to upper caste. Upper caste constitutes only 16 per cent of the total population of the state

The remaining 59 is allocated for Other Backward Classes(OBCs), Scheduled Castes(SC), and Scheduled Tribes(ST) who comprise 74per cent of the state's population.The dominant OBC caste in Bihar has given 15 tickets.

2015 assembly polls, in which BJP had fielded 65 candidates, the highest by any party proves that relying on upper caste for votes is BJP's traditional strategy since years back.

"BJP is sticking with upper-caste as there has been no religious polarization of voters this time around" said Sanjay Kumar of the Centre for the study of Developing Societies(CSDS).

"The upper caste has been the backbone of the BJP", he aed

The BJP had also looked to gain politically from the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who committed suicide in June.

The party has already re-nominated late actor's cousin Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu, the sitting MLA from Chhatapur constituency in Supaul district

(Reported by Afra Ali)

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