By TCN Staff Reporter,
Patna: In a political move former Bihar chief minister Dr. Jagannath Mishra has urged state CM Nitish Kumar to include in party’s election manifesto 5% reservation for Muslims and 4% for backwards of upper castes.
Rejecting the RJD-LJP formula of giving 15% and 10% reservations to Minorities and poor people of upper castes respectively Dr Mishra said it is impossible due to constitutional bar and accused RJD chief Lalu Prasad of blackmailing Muslims as well as upper castes by fake promises.
“How can Lalu implement his formula of reservation while constitution does not allow giving above 50% reservation? It is nothing but a political gimmick and he is befooling people” he said.
Proposing his own formula for reservation to Muslims and upper castes he said: “In undivided Bihar there was 10% reservation for Adivasis but after Jharkhand was carved out, most of the Adivasi population fell in the new state. Thus current Bihar has only 1% reservation for Adivasis as they are in little number in the state. So, remaining 9% reservation should be divided between Muslims and economically backward people of upper castes. This way does not need any amendment in the constitution as it is under the 50% quota limit.”
Dr Mishra was Congress chief minister of the state for three incomplete terms: 1975-77, 1980-83, 1989-90. He was the last chief minister of the Congress party in Bihar. A few years back he had joined JD-U. He is still with the ruling party.