The decision on the OBC quota in elite educational institutions has thrown up a strange situation for the Congress.
Though it is one of the most important decisions of the Congress-led coalition, the Congress is shying away from taking credit while UPA constituents like PMK and DMK are running away with the honours.
The move triggered by certain statements of HRD Minister Arjun Singh in the midst of the recent assembly polls found the party divided while the likes of the Dravidian parties were quick to make political capital ahead of the Tamil Nadu poll battle.
RJD President Lalu Prasad also used the opportunity to extend his influence to the forward castes by asking for reservation even to the economically backward in the upper castes.
The Congress appears to be caught in a serious dilemma on taking credit for the move amid apprehensions that it would lead to a backlash from people belonging to upper castes.
There was also the belief that the backward castes were not the political constituency of the party and were only that of Lalu Prasad, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Nitish Kumar and others in the erstwhile Janata Parivar.
Party Chief Sonia Gandhi has not spoken a word on the subject so far since the matter gained centrestage inspite of her addressing a Congress Parliamentary Party meeting, presiding over a CWC meet and inaugurating a national conference on the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP).
{{/usCountry}}Party Chief Sonia Gandhi has not spoken a word on the subject so far since the matter gained centrestage inspite of her addressing a Congress Parliamentary Party meeting, presiding over a CWC meet and inaugurating a national conference on the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP).
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