A similar move in the past to ward off a political challenge did change the course of Indian politics, if not necessarily, the fortunes of the protagonist of the move. In 1990, then Prime Minister V P Singh’s decision to accept the Mandal Commission recommendations to neutralise the political challenge from his rivals ended up benefitting the OBCs, but it did not save him. Given how the BJP had subtly used Modi’s backward class credentials to woo a large section of non-dominant backward class communities, the move has the potential to upset his image among backward communities. “The entire social justice politics has an undertone that reservation is an exclusive political right of the backward castes. Breaching the 50 per cent reservation ceiling has the potential to open a Pandora’s box because it could harden the stance of dominant communities seeking backward quota benefits.

Source: Indian Express January 07, 2019 23:14 UTC