NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has begun preparing to expand the Congress party’s outreach to backward classes on a large scale. As part of this strategy, Gandhi plans to give more opportunities to Dalits and other backward classes by reshaping state-level party organisations. At the national level, the party is also likely to form an OBC Advisory Committee or Council to signal that Congress is the true well-wisher of backward communities.
Prominent OBC leaders will be included in this council, which will guide the party’s OBC department on advancing issues of social justice and strategies to connect with the backward classes. Congress is continuing to exert pressure on the central government to conduct a caste census. Through organisational changes, Gandhi aims to send a strong message that Congress is the real party of the backward classes.
However, this shift has not been universally accepted within the party. Two factions have emerged. Despite this, Gandhi and his strategists believe that just as the BJP united Hindus through its temple politics in response to the Mandal movement, Congress can regain power by reigniting Mandal-style politics to consolidate Dalits, OBCs, and extremely backward classes.
Gandhi believes that if Congress can make a significant dent in the BJP’s OBC base, it could weaken the saffron party’s Hindutva agenda. However, what Gandhi might be underestimating is the fact that the BJP’s most prominent OBC face is none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself—an image that has helped the BJP secure a significant portion of the OBC vote. Moreover, regional parties like the RJD, SP, BSP, and DMK already dominate backward class politics in their respective states. If Gandhi attempts to carve out a unique space for Congress among backward classes, it could threaten the unity of the I.N.D.I.A bloc.
Bihar appears to be the first testing ground for this strategy. Gandhi has handed over the reins of the state unit to Dalit leader Rajesh Kumar, who is actively working to mobilise Dalit support across the state. Congress has set its sights on Dalits, OBCs, and other backward sections, and according to sources, the party may decide to contest the upcoming elections in Bihar alone. Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru has stated that the party is preparing for all seats. Given Bihar’s history as a laboratory of backward-class politics, such a move could significantly alter the state’s political dynamics.
A solo contest could also impact the Congress-SP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, where Congress leaders have expressed interest in going solo, even though SP chief Akhilesh Yadav still favours a united front. Gandhi is also experimenting with this strategy in Odisha by appointing Dalit leader Bhakta Charan Das as the state president. Like Bihar, Odisha has seen the Congress out of power for decades. Similar experiments are likely in other states where the party has been losing ground, such as Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
