The Times of India News Service

LUCKNOW: State president of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and minister of state for forest Ram Asrey Singh Kushwaha has demanded 23 per centreservation for the Most Backward Classes (MBC) in the already existing 27 per cent reservation for the Backward Classes.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Kushwaha said the benefits of reservation had percolated to only a select few in the BC while the majority had been left out. This majority, comprising the Kewat, Kumhars, Pal, Badhai, Bhurji, Mali etc, should be given an opportunity to rise. He said the Lok Janshakti Party take up this issue in all seriousness with chief minister Rajnath Singh and would also meet Prime Minister Vajpayee in this connection on July 2.

He said a committee of MBCs would be constituted soon to go into the modalities of their demand. He did not deny that the issue had assumed more importance in view of the impending elections.

Stating that his party would demand not less than 100 seats from the BJP, he said the demand was logical as the party had an effective strength of supporters in many constituencies. He was also confident that with the advent of national president Ram Vilas Paswan on the political scene of UP, the base of BSP would register a sharp fall.

Kushwaha said it was lamentable that despite having 13 MLAs, the BJP had ignored the party when it came to giving posts in nigams and various government boards and corporations.

He said the party would take out a rath yatra from August 9 to expand its base.