Chhattisgarh Minister Kawasi Lakhma said Monday that the chances of passing the two pending Reservations Acts are ‘very low,’ accusing Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan of ‘toeing the BJP’s line’ on the subject.
Lakhma, a tribal leader and the Minister for Commercial Tax (Excise), Commerce and Industry, made the remarks after leading a delegation of tribal Congress MLAs to meet with Harichandan to solicit his assent to the Reservation Laws.
The Chhattisgarh Assembly unanimously passed two amendment Bills in December last year, providing 76% reservation in government posts and educational institutions. These had been outstanding since Harichandan’s predecessor, Anusuiya Uikey, refused to sign them.
“We spoke at length with the Governor,” Lakhma told reporters following the meeting. Nonetheless, based on Governor Sir’s language and vichaar (thoughts), the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ideas appear to influence him. He is following the BJP’s lead. He indicated that he would read, see, and think about it before coming up with a solution. Yet we have less optimism. Because the governor is the tribal guardian, we went there and will continue to go. From Vidhan Sabha to the streets, we shall fight this struggle.”
When asked about Raman Singh, who has indicated that Lakhma was putting pressure on the governor, the Congress leader remarked, “I respect Raman Singh, but he too is under pressure from the Government. He, too, (as an MLA) passed this Bill (in the Vidhan Sabha in December 2022), but then the RSS called, and he became stuck.”
Lakhma stated that this year’s Assembly elections would decide the reservation issue. “Unko adivasi pani peelayenge, whether it Raman Singh or the BJP” (they will be defeated). The reservation system will be used in this election. We will bring this issue to every polling place. “Rising prices will also be a huge issue,” he predicted.
The Congress government had been at odds with Harichandan’s predecessor, Uikey, whom it accused of changing his mind after vowing to support it at the BJP’s request.
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Uikey, a tribal chief, refused to sign the two Reservation Bills, which would grant 76 percent quota to SC, ST, OBC, and EWS sections in government positions and educational institutions in the state, citing a September 2017 High Court judgement. She had also requested measurable data from the administration and answers to nine additional questions about the issue.
The Supreme Court decided in 2012 that the then-BJP-led government’s 56% Reservation Bill was unconstitutional since it exceeded the 50% limit.
The Congress had also held a large rally over the issue, accusing the governor of turning Raj Bhavan into a political arena.
The Congress administration also attempted to drag the governor to the Supreme Court over the matter.
In an unusual move, the High Court sent a notice to Raj Bhawan last month. Uikey then went to HC through her lawyer and obtained a stay order on the earlier order. Uikey was transferred to Mizoram in the same month, following a governor upheaval, and Harichandan took her place.
