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Congress makes course correction on OBCs, promises bigger share in power

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25th July, 2025 19:18 IST

It neither looked nor felt like a typical Congress gathering. The sight of B.R. Ambedkar, Jagjivan Ram, and Karpuri Thakur — towering icons of Dalit and OBC politics — sharing poster space with Gandhi and Nehru was both uncommon and striking.

But that’s exactly what unfolded at the 'Bhaagidari Nyay Sammelan' at Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium on Friday, a powerful symbol of the Congress Party’s evolving political culture.

For a party often accused of overlooking backward communities, this event marked a moment of reckoning. And Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi made it very clear in his speech.

In a rare admission, he told thousands of Congress workers and top leaders that he himself and his party had failed to fully grasp the concerns of the OBC community.

image Photo:Vishwadeepak

“One shortcoming remained — in the Congress party and in my work,” he said. “I didn’t protect the OBC community the way I should have. I didn’t understand their issues deeply enough.”

He compared the visibility of Dalit struggles with the invisibility of OBC concerns: “A decade or more ago, I began to understand the Dalit experience. Their pain is visible. But the challenges faced by OBCs are hidden. Had I known back then what I know now, I would have pushed for a caste census much earlier.” Calling it a “mistake”, he promised course correction.

“In hindsight, it’s good I didn’t act then. If we had done the caste census earlier, it wouldn’t have the urgency and clarity it demands today.”

Rahul's remarks came just a day after government data revealed that nearly 80 per cent of sanctioned OBC posts remain vacant in universities.

“It didn’t feel like a political speech,” said a party worker from Mahendragarh, Haryana. “It felt like a family gathering where past wrongs were acknowledged, and a new future was promised.”

Notably, the stage was dominated by OBC leaders — former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, and Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, all of whom Gandhi hailed as “icons” [of the Bahujan].

“The Congress needs 40 to 50 such role models from the OBC community,” he said, and laid out his roadmap:

  • A caste survey in every Congress-ruled state

  • An increase in the 50 per cent cap on reservations

  • Reservation in private educational institutions

The former Congress president also launched a sharp attack on the BJP and RSS, blaming them for suppressing OBC history and denying them due representation.

“Ambedkar gave Dalits a sense of identity and awareness. But the BJP-RSS erased OBC history and blocked their path to empowerment,” he said.

Taking direct aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he asked: “Modi talks about a 'Hindu India.' But if that’s true, where are the OBCs in boardrooms, newsrooms, or among top anchors? Why is land meant for SCs, STs, and OBCs being handed to Adani? There’s no space for OBCs in their system.”

Political watchers say the Bhaagidari Nyay Sammelan was more than an event — it was an assertion. In both symbolism and substance, the Congress is repositioning itself as a party willing to confront its past and realign with the country’s largest and most underrepresented communitie — just months before a pivotal assembly election in Bihar.

Earlier in the day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed the gathering and raised the issue of the SIR in Bihar. “They want to eliminate the poor; RSS-BJP was not ready to grant voting rights to OBC, SC/ST, and women. You got the right to vote because of Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru ji. Now, BJP wants to snatch people’s voting rights by altering the voters' list,” he said.

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