Slugfest Over OBC Quota: BJP Targets To Collect over 50Lakh Signature To Mount Pressure On Govt 

The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to intensify its campaign and attack on the ruling BJD on the OBC reservation issue. 

Informing about the party’s agenda ahead, the president of Odisha BJP OBC Morcha Surath Biswal said, “The party will launch a signature campaign. We will collect signatures of over 50,00,000 people and the same will be sent to the Governor to create a pressure on the government.

Biswal alleged that the State government is intentionally depriving the OBCs of their constitutional rights, denying them their due share in Panchayati Raj Institutions. “Why the State government is so reluctant to give them their constitutional rights?” asked Biswal. 

“We will keep submitting memorandums addressed to the Governor at the Collector offices and Block offices in the State till January 8.  Then we will go to other forums to get back the rights of the OBCs,” he added.

The ruling BJD party’s reaction on the BJP’s move is yet to be received. 

Notably, political slugfest has started since the day one of the release of the reservation draft list, without any quota for backward classes in the coming three-tier Panchayat elections. 

However, the BJD’s answer to the BJP’s allegation has been the same-the list has been prepared as per the Odisha High Court’s ruling.