Patna: As Bihar’s assembly election fever grips the state post-date announcements, the Mahagathbandhan alliance teeters on a caste conundrum over a proposed trio of Deputy Chief Ministers — one from Dalits, one from Muslims, and one from Extremely Backward Classes (EBC).
RJD’s brainchild, aimed at balancing social equations, has sparked sharp queries from Congress, threatening to derail seat-sharing talks even as NDA fine-tunes its strategy.
Sources reveal Congress’s unease stems from overlapping community claims: RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav (OBC) and Vikassheel Insaan Party’s Mukesh Sahni (EBC) already stake prime spots, leaving Congress to push a Dalit deputy if it eyes the CM chair. “Appointing a Dalit president for optics but handing power elsewhere reeks of tokenism,” a Congress insider fumed, fearing backlash for sidelining core EBC-Dalit bases.
The plot thickens for Muslims: elevating one risks branding the alliance an “anti-upper caste,” while a Savarna pick could alienate loyal Muslim voters, sending mixed signals. Sticking to OBC CM with deputies might balloon to four posts, painting the bloc as power-hungry. “This could tarnish our image as greedy before polls even start,” the source added, urging Tejashwi to placate Sahni with extra seats — perhaps letting RJD contest a few on his turf.
Amid the huddle, Opposition leader Tejashwi dropped a poll bombshell: If Mahagathbandhan storms to power, a law guaranteeing one government job per family will roll out within 20 days. With knots untied and campaigns heating up, Bihar’s electoral chessboard promises high-stakes drama.