Latest news with #UpendraKushwaha
Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Are northern states flipping the ‘injustice' narrative? Kushwaha's call for delimitation says so
Written by Mrityunjay Sharma Upendra Kushwaha, leader of the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), a constituent of the NDA, recently launched his campaign for the upcoming Bihar elections from Muzaffarpur. While this marks the usual pre-election show of strength, aimed at bargaining for a larger share of seats before the NDA finalises its seat-sharing arrangement, what drew attention was the name of his rally: Samvaidhanik Adhikar–Parisiman Sudhar (Constitutional Rights–Delimitation Reform). Addressing the rally, Kushwaha advocated for delimitation. He said that had the process been carried out on time, the number of Lok Sabha seats in Bihar would have increased to around 60, thereby boosting representation for Scheduled Castes and women. He also warned of launching an agitation against what he termed a 'gross injustice' to the state. This appears to be the first significant mention of delimitation by a political leader at a public rally in the Hindi heartland. While the issue has been debated in Parliament and among policy experts, it hasn't entered the mainstream political narrative ahead of the decisive year, 2026, when the freeze on delimitation elapses. Delimitation, which is supposed to follow each decennial census, has been postponed twice — first in 1976 and again in 2001, each time for 25 years. Many speculate that the Centre may continue this delay, fearing severe backlash from the southern states, which would possibly lose a few Lok Sabha seats. However, others believe that, given the Modi government's track record of addressing long-pending and contentious issues head-on, delimitation may indeed be on the cards. The last amendment in 2001 mentioned that delimitation may be carried out following a Census conducted after 2026. The recent announcement of the decennial census to be conducted in 2026–27 fulfils this condition and further strengthens the belief that delimitation is imminent. Delimitation, as envisaged in Article 82 of the Constitution, refers to the process of restructuring Parliamentary constituencies to ensure that each represents an approximately equal population. The data used for this purpose must be from the most recent census. The suspension of this process since 1976, intended to promote family planning and reward states that effectively curbed population growth, has led to massive discrepancies. For example, a Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh today represents an average of 30 lakh people, whereas a Tamil Nadu MP represents only 18 lakh people. This violates the principle of 'one person, one vote,' a cornerstone of democratic representation. The imbalance has implications not just for representation but also for the equitable delivery of basic services. Milan Vaishnav and Jamie Hinston, in one of their research papers, project state-wise populations to 2026 and evaluate the potential impact of reallocation using a method proposed by McMillan. This approach suggests expanding the total size of the Lok Sabha so that no state loses seats under the new distribution. Based on 2026 projections, this would increase the total number of Lok Sabha seats to 848. The biggest beneficiaries would be Uttar Pradesh (which would go from 80 to 143 seats) and Bihar (which would nearly double from 40 to 79). It's no surprise, then, that the strongest demands for delimitation are emerging from these two states. The biggest loser would be Kerala, which wouldn't gain any additional seats beyond its current tally of 20. Other South Indian states would gain marginally, nothing compared to the gains by northern states. According to the leaders of the Southern states, they should not be penalised for successfully curbing population growth, especially when compared to high-growth states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. They aren't wrong, either. While the southern states have reduced their TFR (total fertility rate) to 1.5, much below the population replacement rate of 2.1, Bihar is still growing with a TFR of around 3. In recent years, some parties in the South have tapped into anti-North Indian sentiments to consolidate support, raising issues such as skewed financial devolution, northern migrants taking away local jobs, and threats to local culture. Recent clashes over language in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu are a testament to these growing tensions. It will be interesting to see if parties in North India are now going to flip the narrative, accusing the South of unfairly benefiting from a frozen system that denies Northern states their rightful share of representation. While such a move could deepen the North–South divide, it could also become a political tool to rally regional identities and demand equitable representation. In the upcoming Bihar elections, while Chirag Paswan pushes the slogan of 'Bihar First, Bihari First', the Congress focuses on caste census and representation, and Tejashwi Yadav attacks the failures of the Nitish government, it remains to be seen whether Upendra Kushwaha's call for delimitation will resonate with voters, or whether it will be drowned out by more conventional electoral issues. The writer is a BJP Leader and author of Broken Promises: Caste, Crime and Politics in Bihar
New Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Kushwaha may be inducted into Modi Cabinet
PATNA: With the Assembly polls fast approaching in Bihar, speculation is rife that Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief Upendra Kushwaha may be inducted into PM Narendra Modi's Cabinet during the next round of expansion. The move is reportedly aimed at wooing voters belonging to the Kushwaha community, who account for a sizeable chunk of the population in Shahabad. The region, which comprises Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas and Kaimur districts, has long been a stronghold of the INDI alliance. The BJP-led NDA's poor showing in the region in the 2020 Assembly polls as well as the 2024 Lok Sabha elections may have prompted the step.
The Hindu
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Caste census will benefit NDA, delimitation is a Constitutional right: Kushwaha
The National Democratic Alliance will benefit from the Union government's decision to enumerate caste as part of the decadal Census exercise, said NDA ally and Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha on Tuesday (June 10, 2025), adding that delimitation was a constitutional right. Mr. Kushwaha, a Rajya Sabha MP, said this while addressing a press conference after members of the All India Kalwar Kalal Kalar Association joined the RLM. Also read | What is the significance of the Census? | Explained 'The Union government has already announced the caste census, the Centre will get the credit. Congress was in power for a long time. Why did they not conduct a caste census? [Rashtriya Janata Dal chief] Lalu Yadav was a powerful minister at the Centre, he could have pressured the government to undertake it,' he said. Population and delimitation He also reiterated his demand for delimitation, arguing that opposing it was equivalent to opposing the Constitution. Without naming anyone, he noted that some Chief Ministers from southern States are asking people to increase population, which is against the national policy. 'I saw that a southern Chief Minister has urged people to increase their population... The government of India wants to control the population, this is against the declared policy of the country,' he said. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu are among those who have spoken about the disadvantage that southern States face because they followed family planning policies urged by the government over the years. They fear that Lok Sabha seats accruing to southern States will decrease if the delimitation exercise continues to use population as its major criteria. 'Delimitation is a right provided by the Constitution. The preamble says, 'We, the people of India', not 'We, the States of India',' Mr. Kushwaha said. NDA vote consolidation He reiterated that his loss in the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Karakat was because NDA votes had not been consolidated. 'If Upendra Kushwaha lost, NDA also lost. The area of Shahabad and Magadh, the results in Lok Sabha elections were not as per expectations for the NDA. The same situation was there in the 2020 Bihar assembly polls. The only reason is that the NDA vote in the region is not consolidated. When the votes get divided, the Mahagatbandhan (Bihar's Opposition alliance) benefits,' he said.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Kushwaha holds rally in Muz, disregards‘4-5 seats' media buzz as distraction
Patna: Rajya Sabha member and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) president, Upendra Kushwaha , while addressing a rally in Muzaffarpur on Sunday expressed annoyance over media speculations about offer of "four-five seats" to his party under the seat-sharing formula, stating that "his politics is for change, not for posts". He said he would continue raising issues concerning the common people, no matter how many troubles come his way. His rally is being billed as a "show of strength" to bargain for more seats as the NDA gets busy with finalising the seat-sharing. Addressing the "Samvaidhanik Adhikar-Parisiman Sudhar" rally, Kushwaha said he never cared about seats since he enjoys the "people's power". "Four-five seats…Upendra Kushwaha kabhi iski chinta nahin karta hai (I never worry about it)," Kushwaha said, adding, for him issues are more important and that he would continue raising them come what may. He said if compromising with people's issues leads to a post, it is better to remain without such a post. Citing examples, Kushwaha, who served as a Union minister of state during the first term of PM Narendra Modi, said Mahatma Gandhi, Babasaheb Ambedkar, and Jayaprakash Narayan could have got any post, but they gave first priority to the people's issues. "Main pad nahin, parivartan ke liye rajniti karta hun (My politics is for change, not for any posts)," he said, alleging that the "seat issue" was being deliberately raised to divert the people's attention from the core issues. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 관절염 발생률 99% 감소 "이것" 마시기만 했더니 '손목/허리/무릎 통증 사라져" hoguanwon Undo Strongly advocating for delimitation, he said the lack of this exercise was causing a great loss to the state. "If the delimitation process was carried out on time, the number of Lok Sabha seats in Bihar would have gone up to 60, leading to increased representation of scheduled castes and women, but this has been hanging fire," Kushwaha said, warning of launching an agitation against "gross injustice" to the state. He also raised concern over the collegium system in the judiciary, describing it as an "unjust process". He demanded that the appointment of judges in the Supreme Court and high courts be made through a written test, quite like the recruitment process available for the bureaucrats in the country. Patna: Rajya Sabha member and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) president, Upendra Kushwaha, while addressing a rally in Muzaffarpur on Sunday expressed annoyance over media speculations about offer of "four-five seats" to his party under the seat-sharing formula, stating that "his politics is for change, not for posts". He said he would continue raising issues concerning the common people, no matter how many troubles come his way. His rally is being billed as a "show of strength" to bargain for more seats as the NDA gets busy with finalising the seat-sharing. Addressing the "Samvaidhanik Adhikar-Parisiman Sudhar" rally, Kushwaha said he never cared about seats since he enjoys the "people's power". "Four-five seats…Upendra Kushwaha kabhi iski chinta nahin karta hai (I never worry about it)," Kushwaha said, adding, for him issues are more important and that he would continue raising them come what may. He said if compromising with people's issues leads to a post, it is better to remain without such a post. Citing examples, Kushwaha, who served as a Union minister of state during the first term of PM Narendra Modi, said Mahatma Gandhi, Babasaheb Ambedkar, and Jayaprakash Narayan could have got any post, but they gave first priority to the people's issues. "Main pad nahin, parivartan ke liye rajniti karta hun (My politics is for change, not for any posts)," he said, alleging that the "seat issue" was being deliberately raised to divert the people's attention from the core issues. Strongly advocating for delimitation, he said the lack of this exercise was causing a great loss to the state. "If the delimitation process was carried out on time, the number of Lok Sabha seats in Bihar would have gone up to 60, leading to increased representation of scheduled castes and women, but this has been hanging fire," Kushwaha said, warning of launching an agitation against "gross injustice" to the state. He also raised concern over the collegium system in the judiciary, describing it as an "unjust process". He demanded that the appointment of judges in the Supreme Court and high courts be made through a written test, quite like the recruitment process available for the bureaucrats in the country.
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
AIMPLB, BJP on their marks, Bihar heats up as Waqf battleground ahead of Assembly race
HOPING to make a difference in the Bihar Assembly elections scheduled for end of this year, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) is planning a series of programmes in the state against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, which is facing several petitions in the Supreme Court. The Board has organised public gatherings under its 'Save Waqf Campaign' across the country, but its efforts have been more concentrated on Bihar, particularly the districts of Patna, Araria, Kishanganj, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Saharsa, Madhubani, Siwan and Darbhanga. In a statement earlier this week, the AIMPLB underlined the importance of the state for the party because of the coming elections. 'It is likely that these (Save Waqf Campaign) programmes can influence the election results as well,' it said. The nine Bihar districts where the AIMPLB is focusing consist of 72 Assembly constituencies, or 30% of the 243-seat House. Muslims, who make up around 17.7% of the Bihar population, play a decisive role in at least 30 of these 72 Assembly seats. In the 2020 Assembly polls, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had won a majority (38) of these 72 seats, with the BJP securing 25 seats, followed by the JD(U) 11 and the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VSIP) 2. The Opposition Mahagathbandhan had won 28 of the 72 seats, with the RJD winning 11, the Congress 5, CPI (ML) (L) 4 and CPI 2. The BJP's performance was significant given that Muslims are seen as staunch RJD supporters in Bihar. These 72 seats also comprised the five constituencies won by the AIMIM in 2020 (four of its five MLAs who won crossed over to the RJD). The AIMIM had formed a third front at the time, with the BSP and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP). Upendra Kushwaha had later merged his RLSP with the JD(U), but had again split and now heads the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, which is part of the NDA. The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) led by Chirag Paswan which was outside the NDA umbrella then and contested separately, won its lone seat from here too. In its Save Waqf Campaign, the AIMPLB, along with other Muslim bodies, is targeting BJP allies in particular, including the JD(U), accusing them of 'betraying Muslims' on the Waqf Act. During one such event in Delhi last month, Muslim clerics and the AIMPLB accused NDA parties of 'stabbing Muslims in the back' by supporting the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament, and asked them to push the government to withdraw the contentious law or be ready to face the community's opposition everywhere. They are specifically naming NDA leaders such as JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Chirag Paswan, and HAM (S) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, apart from other BJP allies outside Bihar like NCP president Ajit Pawar and TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu. 'We are hopeful that the JD(U), LJP and HAM which got Muslim votes in the past will not get their support now because of the new Waqf law. The AIMPLB will not make any direct political appeal against any particular party. Other Muslim organisations participating in the programmes will make such appeal. The AIMPLB will only tell people which parties helped the government make the Waqf law. Bihar's ruling party (JD-U) was involved in making of the law,' says S Q R Ilyas, AIMPLB spokesperson and Convenor of the All India Save Waqf Campaign. Last month, the BJP leadership constituted a four-member coordination committee, headed by Rajya Sabha MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal, to tour the country to create awareness among people, including Muslims, on the 'benefits' of the contentious Waqf Act. The party also has its sights on Bihar and has held meetings in Bhagalpur, Motihari, Patna, Muzaffarpur etc. 'These programmes were planned in other areas too but were postponed after the Pahalgam terror attack. Then the party organisation got busy with the Tiranga Yatra. Waqf-law related programmes are yet to resume,' says Kamruzzama Ansari, the Bihar BJP minority wing president. BJP allies are not a part of these programmes, says Ansari. He expresses confidence that the campaign of the AIMPLB and opposition parties on the Waqf Act will not damage the BJP or its allies in the Bihar polls. 'Out of the total Muslim population, the majority are Pasmanda, who are poor and have been deprived of benefits of Waqf properties. Now they will get benefits due to the new law, and the Pasmandas will support the BJP and its allies,' Ansari says. He expects the Centre's announcement to hold a caste census along with the next Census exercise to also help the BJP among the Pasmanda Muslims. K Laxman, the national president of the BJP's OBC Morcha, told The Indian Express earlier that Pasmanda Muslims would be counted as OBCs in the caste census. At the same time, Ansari hopes that the BJP will give tickets to Muslims and accommodate Muslim leaders in government to strengthen trust in the community. Former MP Ali Anwar Ansari, currently in the Congress and the head of the All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz, contests the BJP's hopes of getting Pasmanda votes. 'Muslims, particularly Pasmanda, have voted for the JD(U), LJP and HAM in the past, but they will not vote for these parties now because they are upset with the Waqf law. Some greedy Muslims and some others in their individual capacity may vote for these BJP's allies, but the community will largely vote against them,' Ansari says, adding that the Congress too will make the Waqf law one of its campaign issues in Bihar. JD(U) leaders say the party is conscious that there may be a Waqf backlash. However, they point out, several Muslim leaders had earlier this year turned up for the Bihar government's iftar event despite a boycott call. They included leaders of the Imarat-e-Shariah, which is associated with the AIMPLB campaign in Bihar. In March, the Imarat-e-Shariah had boycotted the iftar hosted by CM Nitish Kumar in protest against his party's support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind had stayed away from the iftar as well as the Eid Milan and other such functions organised by both Nitish Kumar and Chirag Paswan.
