Religion, Caste And Tribe Based Reservation - 4

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<b>SC/ST, not OBC, in Cong focus</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->New Delhi, November 10: Making a mid-course assessment that winning over the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) as a political constituency is not easy, Congress strategists now feel that party’s electoral fortunes will depend on its traditionally trusted social groups — Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Muslims.

<b>A senior Congress functionary said positive movements on affirmative action for SCs/STs in private sector and measures targeting Muslims would be the focus of the party as it warms up for the next general elections in 2009.</b> “On both fronts some definite measures will come soon enough,” he said.
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<b>“We cannot beat Lalu or Mulayam in the game of OBC politics. We have to remain and project our image of being a liberal party with a pro-poor focus,”</b> he said.

He said positive discrimination was part of the party’s concern for the poor and Congress did not favour clubbing together SCs/STs and OBCs for the purpose. <b>The party will not do anything that excludes creamy layer from the benefits of SC/ST quota. </b>“There is a huge backlog of SC/ST posts and therefore the talk of a creamy layer for them is misplaced. Creamy layer concept may be valid in the case of OBCs where there is no backlog,” the senior leader said.
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Now Congress will leave OBC and will go back to play SC/ST and Muslim. I think it is too late for that also. Muslim votes will go to any Mullanas.