Nitish Kumar releases Bihar list with attack on BJP over quotas

Patna, Sept 23: In a first for an electoral coalition, Bihar's 'grand alliance' on Wednesday released a 'joint list' of 242 candidates for the assembly polls with the bulk comprising OBCs and weaker sections as its CM candidate Nitish Kumar attacked BJP for being "anti-reservation" which cannot but obey RSS "which is its Supreme Court".

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the JD(U)-RJD-BJP combine's candidate for the hot seat, released the list of its nominees which, he said, had 55 per cent representation of backwards, 15 per cent SC/ST, 14 per cent Muslims and 16 per cent from the general category.[Bihar assembly 2015: Special coverage]

A total of 25 women candidates have been given tickets, forming 10 per cent of the total, Kumar said, adding "all sections" have been represented. [Full List: JDU-RJD-Congress Grand alliance names 242 candidates for Bihar polls]

In a clear indication that the anti-BJP secular alliance's campaign will have a sharp thrust on backward class politics, which had helped RJD and later JD(U) reap handsome electoral harvests in post-Mandal Bihar, Nitish Kumar launched a frontal attack on BJP and RSS at the news conference called to announce the list.

"It is clear that he (Mohan Bhagwat) feels the current policy of reservation is not right and wants some other system," Kumar said, reading aloud excerpts from the RSS chief's interview to Sangh mouthpiece 'Organiser' and 'Panchjanya' in which he recently suggested a review of the reservation policy that has created a political storm ahead of the Bihar polls, causing discomfort in BJP.

Questioning BJP's stand on reservation, he said whatever the ruling party may say it cannot go against the views of the RSS. "RSS' view is final.

Whatever BJP might say, it has no meaning. Like when anything is decided by the Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, it is final and there is nothing after that, the same way in RSS, if RSS chief says something then BJP has no say.

"The BJP is a political outfit of RSS and swayamsevaks and pracharaks are part of this government.

Whatever, Bhagwat has said is final and there is no other thought," Kumar, unsparing in his attack on the saffron rival, said, in apparent reference to BJP and the Centre distancing from Bhagwat's remarks.

PTI