Patna, August 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The political confrontation over sub-categorisation within Dalit reservation intensified in Bihar on Monday, with RJD MP Misa Bharti and BJP minister Lakhendra Paswan taking aim at NDA leaders Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi.
Amid the ongoing disagreement between Chirag Paswan and Manjhi over the reservation framework, Misa Bharti questioned the credibility of leaders who, she alleged, had benefited from reserved constituencies while now advocating changes to the system.
She challenged both leaders to resign from their reserved seats and contest from general constituencies if they wanted to debate changes to the reservation framework.
Misa also alleged that NDA allies had become politically dependent on the BJP and were acting according to its directions. She claimed that leaders of Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and Upendra Kushwaha were also following the same line.
Her remarks come against the backdrop of differences within the NDA over the future of SC/ST reservations. Manjhi and his son, Bihar minister Santosh Kumar Suman, have advocated sub-categorisation and a “quota within a quota” to ensure that the most deprived communities receive a greater share of reservation benefits.
Chirag Paswan, however, has opposed changes to the existing system and questioned proposals relating to the creamy layer.
Meanwhile, Bihar minister and senior BJP leader Lakhendra Paswan also joined the debate, posing a pointed question to Chirag Paswan and Manjhi over their contribution to their respective communities.
Without directly endorsing either position, Lakhendra Paswan asked how many people from their communities, beyond their immediate families, had actually benefited from their efforts.
He said leaders claiming to represent Dalit and Mahadalit communities should explain how many people outside their families had been helped by their work.
Reiterating what he described as the BJP’s position on reservation, Lakhendra Paswan said, “If there is BJP, there is reservation.”
The exchange has brought differences among NDA partners over sub-categorisation, quota distribution and the broader framework of SC/ST reservation into sharper focus.
With both ruling alliance leaders and opposition parties entering the debate, reservation is emerging as a significant political issue in Bihar, particularly in the context of Dalit and Mahadalit representation.
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