Rajnath seeks V.P. Singh's support for sub-quota

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JUNE 29. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Rajnath Singh, met the former Prime Minister, Mr. V.P. Singh, for an hour at the latter's residence here today. It is believed that Mr. Rajnath Singh, who sought the meeting, is trying to get support for his move to create a sub-quota for the most backward castes (MBCs). The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have opposed the move.

Reports suggest that Mr. V.P. Singh may actively campaign for the Samajwadi Party in the coming U.P. Assembly elections. Analysts say that this could help to pull some of the `Thakur' votes away from the BJP to the SP. This is a situation the BJP would certainly like to avoid.

The support of Mr. V.P. Singh, the father of `Mandal' politics, to Mr. Rajnath Singh's sub-quota move would be useful. All that the Chief Minister said later was that a `good step' should not be politicised or looked at with suspicion.

During the hour-long meeting, problems facing the State and issues related to farmers were discussed at some length.

`Politically motivated'

While the SP described it as a `politically motivated' move `to divide the backward classes', the BSP was more alarmist, calling it a political conspiracy. ``...the step could lead to caste riots in the State''. It was a desperate attempt by the BJP to get the support of some sections of the backward castes which had moved away from it over the last couple of years, the BSP said.

The SP general secretary, Mr. Amar Singh, alleged that it was yet another sop and wondered what made Mr. Rajnath Singh express concern for the MBCs in the State which witnessed killings of Dalits in Fatehpur and Aligarh earlier this month.

He said when the SP president, Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav, sought a quota for the backward castes within a quota for women in the Women's Reservation Bill, the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre blamed him for stalling the bill. It was now attempting to create a sub-quota in Uttar Pradesh.

The SP leader said the timing of the announcement showed that it was only a gimmick by the BJP which lacked sincerity and had little commitment towards the backward castes.

The BSP vice-president, in her statement, demanded that the Government scrap the sub-committee and provide reservation for the MBCs on the basis of their population.

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Section  : National
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