In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s accusations that the INDIA bloc aims to shift reservation from backward communities to Muslims, former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav clarified that reservation is based on social backwardness, not religion.
He asserted his role in implementing the Mandal Commission, emphasizing its social basis. Yadav expressed confidence in the INDIA bloc’s electoral prospects, predicting BJP’s failure to secure even 200 seats.
Accusing the BJP of opposing reservations for backward and Dalit communities, Yadav’s remarks were prompted by PM Modi’s allegation that the INDIA bloc seeks to allocate all reservation to Muslims. PM Modi cited Yadav’s earlier statement advocating reservation for Muslims, portraying it as a plot to deprive SC, ST, and OBCs of their reservation rights.
Earlier, Lalu Yadav had advocated for Muslim reservation. Bihar, contributing 40 Lok Sabha members, is witnessing polling across seven phases. Currently, the third phase includes voting for five seats: Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Araria, Madhepura, and Khagaria. In the 2019 elections, the BJP-led NDA dominated Bihar, winning 39 of 40 seats.