As assembly polls near, Dalit Politics gains momentum in Bihar

Ahead of the Bihar assembly polls, politics with the Dalits as the centrepiece has gathered momentum. Of the 243 assembly seats in Bihar, Dalits constitute nearly 16 per cent of the vote and 40 seats are reserved for them. All parties have been making every effort possible to woo the Dalit voters in every election.

Patna: There has been a lot of politics on Dalits in Bihar assembly elections. Ram Vilas Paswan has been doing politics in the name of Dalits for a long time.But now Paswan is no longer the only leader of Dalits in the politics of Bihar. Along with former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, BJP and JDU have also put forward many such faces.

16% Dalit voters in Bihar

Of the 243 assembly seats in Bihar, 40 seats are reserved for Dalit candidates. At the same time, Dalits constitute nearly 16 per cent of the vote. Dalit voters decide the victory, so all parties have been making every effort possible to woo the Dalit voters in every election.

Mahadalit in Bihar

Nitish Kumar overcame the monopoly of Ram Vilas Paswan's Dalit vote in Bihar by dividing the Dalit into Mahadalit. Actually, there are 22 castes in the Dalit community of Bihar. When Nitish Kumar came to power in 2005, he started efforts on his behalf by declaring 21 out of 22 castes of the Dalit category as Mahadalits to help the Dalit community. However, in 2018, including Paswan Jati made everyone a Mahadalit. In this way, there is no longer a Dalit community in Bihar.

Biggest Dalit leader – Manjhi

Jitan Ram Manjhi, while serving as Chief Minister for almost eight months, focused all his attention on how he could become the face of the Mahadalit caste. Nitish Kumar played a big Dalit card by making Jitan Ram Manjhi the Chief Minister. But, Jitan Ram Manjhi rebelled and formed a separate party.

LJP's hold over Paswan community

Ram Vilas Paswan still claims to have a monopoly over the Paswan caste. There are 22 such communities among Dalits, but Ravidas, Musahar and Paswan are the main among them.

Dalit politics of Lalu in Bihar

Ramai Ram of RJD leader and Ravidas says that this time, Tejashwi Yadav will become the chief minister this time because Nitish Kumar has not done anything for Dalits .

Especially on the occasion of elections, Lalu suddenly comes into the headlines. Lalu supporters say that a large part and minority of Dalits and backward castes in Bihar are going to be with Lalu Prasad.

Dalit politics in Bihar

On the other hand, if we turn the pages of history, Bihar became the first state in the country to pass the Zamindari Abolition Act. After this, there was hope that the path of social and economic progress of the underprivileged sections of society in Bihar will be opened, but the situation did not change. In the late 60s, Bhola Paswan Shastri became the Chief Minister of Bihar, the first Dalit Chief Minister of the country.

In 1977, Babu Jagjivan Ram of Bihar became the Deputy Prime Minister of the country. Nevertheless, there has been no improvement in the social and economic conditions of the Scheduled Castes of Bihar.

At present, the problem of labourers in recent times has created a new possibility of Dalit movement in Bihar. It is to be seen in the upcoming assembly elections that the mobilisation of Dalit voters in Bihar is based on the economic aspect such as the problem of labourers, employment, etc.