RLM chief Kushwaha vows to work for restoration of 65% reservation in Bihar

Allies Pitch for Reservation Ahead of UP Polls

Two allies of the Bihar NDA — Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha — have pitched for reservation and announced plans to contest the upcoming assembly election in Uttar Pradesh.

Kushwaha, president of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, vowed to work towards restoring the 65% reservation for deprived castes in Bihar. He said his party passed a resolution to this effect at its three-day organisational convention, 'Vimarsh Shivir 2026', which concluded in Rajgir on Saturday. "At our three-day organisational convention, we passed a resolution to ensure 65 per cent reservation for backward classes," he said.

Kushwaha, also a Rajya Sabha MP, recalled that the Bihar assembly passed the 65% quota bill during Nitish Kumar's tenure as chief minister, based on the caste-based survey. "Since this matter is stuck in the court, we must now carry forward the work initiated by Nitish Kumar," he added.

The 65% Reservation and Its Legal Hurdles

The enhanced quotas, which breached the 50% reservation ceiling set by the Supreme Court, were introduced in 2022 when Bihar was ruled by the Mahagathbandhan, comprising the JD(U), RJD, Congress and Left parties. The Patna High Court subsequently struck down the enhanced quotas, and the state government's appeal is pending before the Supreme Court.

The JD(U), which is now back in the NDA, has faced criticism from the RJD and other parties for not getting the legislation providing for the enhanced quotas included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, which offers protection from judicial review.

Paswan's Constitutional Pitch

Paswan, who is a Union minister, posted an old video from February 10, 2020, on the party's 'X' account on Sunday, pitching for reservation. He contended that reservation was a constitutional right and sought to place all reservation-related acts under the 9th Schedule of the Constitution to shield them from judicial scrutiny.

"I had stated in Parliament on February 10, 2020 that reservation is not charity, but a constitutional right. We won't even accept a review of reservation, let alone ending it. Our commitment to social justice and protection of constitutional rights is unwavering," he said.

Responding to a media query on the anti-quota protest at Jantar Mantar, Paswan said reservations could not be abolished at anyone's demand, asserting that it was a constitutional right meant to support communities that faced social discrimination for generations, and it was also not a charity given to anyone.

Plans to Contest UP Polls

The LJP (RV) has decided to contest the upcoming UP assembly election, keeping open the possibility of fighting either as part of the NDA or independently. A decision to that effect was taken in the party's national executive committee meeting in New Delhi on August 10.

The RLM also passed a resolution to contest polls in UP at its 'Vimarsh Shivir' in Rajgir.

Kushwaha's Legacy Remarks and Clarification

Kushwaha also sought to play down the controversy over his recent remark that the RLM was a "true claimant to the legacy" of JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, who stepped down as chief minister earlier this year. Responding to angry reactions from some JD(U) leaders, Kushwaha said his remarks had been "misinterpreted".

"It is not about assuming power. It is our shared responsibility to take forward the ideas of our ancestors," he said.

Kushwaha, who headed the JD(U)'s parliamentary board before floating his own outfit in 2023, is a former Union minister and has had a long association with the party. He belongs to the Koeri caste, while Nitish Kumar belongs to the Kurmi community; the two groups are together referred to as 'Luv-Kush' in Bihar's political lexicon.

Kushwaha's son Deepak Prakash is a minister in Samrat Choudhary's BJP-led government and a cabinet colleague of Nitish Kumar's son Nishant. Kushwaha said "Both are equal in my eyes", dismissing suggestions that he was uneasy over Nitish Kumar's son getting greater political attention. He also said he had first advocated the political entry of Nishant.

Kushwaha said he had nurtured the JD(U) with his blood and sweat, and that JD(U) leaders themselves were concerned about who would carry forward the party's legacy, and he spoke about that pain.

Other Resolutions at RLM Shivir

The RLM's organisational convention in Rajgir also passed resolutions on renaming Patna as Pataliputra, observing a 'Female Teachers' Day' on the birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule, and naming Bihta airport after former chief minister Karpoori Thakur. Kushwaha also said his party had suggested that the state government constitute an Education Commission to assess education trends across the world and submit recommendations to the government.