Archive · 23 Aug 2026
Reservation Becomes Key Pitch as Bihar Allies Target UP Polls
Two political parties from Bihar want to contest the next assembly election in Uttar Pradesh.
Their leaders are making reservation a major part of their message.
Chirag Paswan said reservation helps communities that faced discrimination for many generations.
He said it is a constitutional right, not a gift.
He also supported protecting reservation laws from court challenges through the Ninth Schedule.
Upendra Kushwaha pointed to Bihar’s caste survey and its decision to increase OBC reservation to 65 percent.
That increase is currently being challenged in court.
Kushwaha said his party wants to continue the work started by Nitish Kumar.
He also said comments about Nitish Kumar’s political legacy had been taken out of context.
Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha plan to contest Uttar Pradesh’s assembly election.
Paswan argued that reservation is a constitutional right and should not be abolished or treated as charity.
Paswan also backed placing reservation-related laws under the Constitution’s Ninth Schedule to protect them from judicial scrutiny.
Kushwaha cited Bihar’s caste survey and the decision to raise OBC reservation to 65 percent, saying the issue remains before the courts.
Both parties have left open their election strategies in Uttar Pradesh, including whether to contest with the National Democratic Alliance or independently.
- Who
- Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha, both allies of the National Democratic Alliance in Bihar.
- What
- The two parties are making reservation a central political issue and have announced plans to contest the Uttar Pradesh assembly election.
- When
- The announcements and comments were reported ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly election; the cited party decisions were made on August 10 and at a recent organizational meeting.
- Where
- The political statements were made in Patna, while party decisions were taken in New Delhi and Rajgir.
- Why
- The leaders seek to defend or advance reservation policies and build a political case as their parties prepare to contest in Uttar Pradesh.
Reservation advocates
Quota critics
Status of reservation
Reservation advocates
Chirag Paswan said reservation is a constitutional right intended to support communities that experienced generations of social discrimination and cannot be abolished at anyone’s demand.
Quota critics
The article refers to an anti-quota protest at Jantar Mantar, whose participants opposed the continuation of reservation policies.
Legal protection
Reservation advocates
Paswan supported placing all reservation-related laws under the Constitution’s Ninth Schedule to shield them from judicial scrutiny.
Quota critics
The article does not provide a detailed statement from protesters or other critics about the proposed Ninth Schedule protection.
Bihar’s expanded quota
Reservation advocates
Upendra Kushwaha said the work behind Bihar’s caste survey and the resulting decision to raise OBC reservation to 65 percent should be carried forward.
Quota critics
The 65 percent reservation decision remains stuck in court, indicating that its legal validity has not been settled.
- Parties involved
- Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha
- Key leaders
- Union minister Chirag Paswan and Rajya Sabha member Upendra Kushwaha
- Election focus
- The upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly election
- Reservation position
- Paswan described reservation as a constitutional right and opposed abolishing it.
- Bihar quota
- The Bihar government led by Nitish Kumar decided to raise OBC reservation to 65 percent after a caste-based survey.
- Legal status
- The increase in Bihar’s reservation quota is currently before the courts.
- Alliance strategy
- The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has not ruled out contesting in Uttar Pradesh either with the National Democratic Alliance or independently.