BJP's Political Manoeuvres with Kuldeep Bishnoi and the OBC Reservation Issue

In the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections, BJP leader Kuldeep Bishnoi has taken an active stance on OBC reservations, engaging with the Bishnoi community. After discussions with community members, he held a crucial meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, attended by prominent figures like Lalasar Sathari Mahant Swami Sachchidanand, Devendra Budiya (President of All India Bishnoi Mahasabha), and former MP Jaswant Singh Bishnoi. Following this, Bishnoi also met with Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, reflecting the community's concerns.

This move echoes the historical context where, in 1999-2000, Rajasthan Cabinet Minister Ram Singh Bishnoi successfully included the Bishnoi community in the OBC category. Despite efforts to secure OBC reservations at the central level during that period, the government did not grant reservations. Now, with Kuldeep Bishnoi's active involvement in BJP, the party is strategically working to consolidate Bishnoi votes in both Haryana and Rajasthan.

While Bishnoi's influence in Haryana might hover around 1%, it is concentrated in regions around Hisar and Fatehabad. In Rajasthan, the Bishnoi community's impact is more substantial, particularly in districts like Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jalor, Pali, Barmer, Nagaur, Ganganagar, and Jaisalmer, where their vote bank holds around 2-3%. This becomes crucial in key constituencies.

Kuldeep Bishnoi's association with BJP has further prompted the party to field his son in the recent Adampur Assembly by-election, solidifying their position in Haryana. Simultaneously, the appointment of Kuldeep Bishnoi as the co-incharge of Rajasthan indicates BJP's strategic intent to leverage Bishnoi's political influence in both states.

Experts suggest that BJP is capitalising on Kuldeep Bishnoi's political legacy and the potential impact of the Bishnoi community to strengthen its position not only in Haryana but also in Rajasthan, both in Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. The move also aims to counterbalance the political influence of the Bishnoi family members aligned with different political parties in the region, making it a calculated political manoeuvre by the BJP.