Leaders across castes roped in as Congress holds 1st rejig after Lok Sabha elections
The recent reshuffle of secretaries and joint secretaries of the Congress accommodated a large number of leaders from backward classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes while promoting young leaders and some key organisers of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in important organisational duties, an analysis shows.
The recent reshuffle of secretaries and joint secretaries of the Congress accommodated a large number of leaders from backward classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes while promoting young leaders and some key organisers of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in important organisational duties, an analysis shows.
According to the Congress’s internal estimates, more than 50% of the 74 secretaries and joint secretaries appointed in the party belong to the OBC, SC and ST category. Apart from this, the principal Opposition party also appointed 12 Muslims and Christians, giving the two communities 16% share in these posts.
The reshuffle, announced on August 31, was the first such organisational exercise after the Lok Sabha elections and was meant to rejig the party ahead of a string of assembly polls.
But party insiders point out that amid the Congress’ larger push for a caste census, more political space for various caste groups, and the inclusion of a large number of backward castes, SCs and STs in organisational posts also indicates a clear push for social justice.
Subhasini Yadav, daughter of late Union minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav, Jawaharlal Nehru University PhD Chandan Yadav, and Vijay Jangid, who has been a member of the Rajasthan OBC commission, are some of the prominent backward group leaders included in the list.
The push for OBCs is particularly important as the Congress has been trying to woo the backward communities. In the Congress’s manifesto for 2024, the party made several promises including conducting a nation-wide socio-economic and caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions.
Lok Sabha’s Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has also repeatedly called for a caste census, pointing out the low representation of marginalised castes in the decision-making process and top bureaucracy. The issue is believed to be one of the reasons why a chunk of the OBC and Dalit vote moved away from the BJP and towards the Opposition in the general elections.
It also promised that it would pass a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SC, ST and OBC and also include all communities in the 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
In the latest reshuffle for secretaries—who report to general secretaries and state in charges — and joint secretaries, Uttar Pradesh got the highest number, or five secretaries. Out of this, two are upper castes, one Muslim and two OBCs.
In the reshuffle, three states and a party department got one secretary each. Similarly, two secretaries have been appointed in each of 17 states.