Nitish reaches out to upper castes in poll-bound Bihar

PATNA - Wooing the upper castes ahead of the Bihar assembly polls, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Tuesday promised to set up a commission to study the problems faced by the upper caste poor and launch welfare schemes for them if his Janata Dal-United (JD-U) party is voted back to power.

The opposition Congress promptly termed the chief minister’s promise as an election gimmick.

Asked if he would provide reservation to the poor among upper castes, the chief minister said: “First let me return to power to set up a commission for the poor among upper castes.”

Congress state spokesperson Prem Chand Mishra described the chief minister’s speech as nothing but a political gimmick. “Nitish Kumar is upset that upper castes’ voters have been returning to the Congress,” he said.

JD-U rebel MP Lalan Singh also attacked Nitish Kumar, saying the chief minister was fooling the upper castes who, he claimed, have already decided to vote and support the Congress.

The Congress is contesting all the 243 seats on its own. The Rashtriya Janata Dal-Lok Janshakti Party combine has promised 10 percent reservation to the poor among the upper castes if the alliance is voted to power.

Elections to the 243-seat state assembly will be held in six phases, from Oct 21 to Nov 20. The results will be declared Nov 24.