10% quota for upper castes will help NDA in the upcoming Lok Sabha election: Ram Vilas Paswan

The Parliament approved amending the Constitution to provide 10 per cent reservation to general category poor in jobs and education with the government terming the landmark move as 'slog over sixes'.

After Lok Sabha approved The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Fourth Amendment) Bill, 2019, the Rajya Sabha passed the law with 165 voting in favour and 7 against.

LJP president and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the government’s decision to grant 10 per cent reservation to Economically Weaker Sections in general category has helped reignite confidence among NDA allies.

As quoted by the Sunday Express, Paswan said, "It is true that we were a bit shaky following BJP’s defeat in the recent Assembly polls but PM Modi trumped the Opposition with the 10 per cent quota move. We appear to have arrested the drift now". 

He said the RJD’s decision not to support the quota could have well antagonised its upper caste voters and it was showing in the discomfort among the grand alliance in Bihar.

Earlier he has said the decision to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education to upper castes will help the NDA in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. 

Paswan said the Supreme Court had struck down a similar move in 1990s by the PV Narasimha Rao government saying there was no provision for reservation on economic status and asked for Constitutional amendments. 

(From PTI inputs)