How will 10 percent reservation for EWS affect Modi and BJP in General Election 2019?

Keeping in mind the approaching General Election 2019 – and party’s disastrous loss against Congress in three heartland states – the Modi government announced 10 percent quota for the “Economically” Weaker Sections (EWS) in government jobs and college admissions. The reservation is for those in the General category who earn less than Rs 8 lakh annually and have less than five-acre land.

(Courtesy: India Today)

So, since the OBCs and other backward communities already have reservations, this development will likely end up helping the upper caste groups, including the Gujjars, Marathas, Jats, and Patidars. Notably, all these groups have long been demanding quotas in government jobs and higher education. According to Hindustan Times, as many as 190 million people would benefit from this 10 percent reservation.

Also read: Do you think that the agitation of Muslim community for reservation in education is correct?

The move was approved in a cabinet meeting that was chaired by Narendra Modi.

Now, understand the technical complexities here…

In 1992, the Supreme Court capped reservations limit in government jobs and education at 50 percent. Exceeding this limit is only allowed to the states, according to a July 2010 judgment, provided the states have a good scientific justification.

The central government’s decision to offer more 10 percent quota to EWS exceeds this SC’s cap to 60 percent. However, the government is making a distinction between economic and social reservation, contending that SC’s cap doesn’t hold true for the economic reservation.

So, clearly, the path to get this move approved and amended isn’t very clear. There will be a lot of judicial scrutinies. To that, unsurprisingly, the bill will get stuck in the Rajya Sabha even when the government is desperately trying to get it passed by extending Rajya Sabha session for one more day.

In fact, there’s virtually no way this reservation will come into effect before General Election 2019. This is why it becomes extremely evident that this move is being pushed by the ruling party keeping in mind the upcoming polls. Even when there’s enough hullabaloo against reservation, our country still demands more of it. So, with the government introducing the proposal of 10 percent reservation in the general category – knowing very well that it won’t come into effect anytime soon – is bound to win BJP decent support from select communities in particular.

Also, this puts Congress and other opposition parties in quite a dilemma. They would want to oppose this move to stop BJP from appealing the voters. But going against the idea of reservation would cost these parties big in vote share.

All in all, the announcement of 10 percent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections is a well-calculated move that assures to help BJP in many ways in General Election 2019.

Politics aside, it’s interesting to see how the government is putting quotas on government jobs and college admission when job creation is negligent, millions of youths are stressed about employment, and the infrastructure of higher education is in crumbles with no teachers and poor arrangements.

Oh well…