look news india
The appointment process of Assistant Professor in Bihar has now taken a new political turn. This time the questions have not been raised by the opposition, but from within the NDA alliance itself. National President of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Union Minister Chirag Paswan has written a strong letter to Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary raising serious questions on the entire recruitment process. Chirag has not only raised doubts on the transparency of the reinstatement, but has also increased the problems of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister by making 6 big demands. Such public disagreement within the NDA has given rise to a new debate in the administrative and political corridors of the state. After all, what are the flaws against which Chirag Paswan has opened the front and what is the political strategy behind it?
Chirag Paswan’s 6 demands: Question of transparency in recruitment and future of youth
In the letter written by Chirag Paswan, he has demanded comprehensive reform and transparency in the Assistant Professor recruitment process. Among their 6 major demands, the most important demand is related to high-level scrutiny of the entire recruitment process and change in the timing of counselling. Chirag has demanded that 100% adherence to reservation rules should be ensured in recruitment and there should not be any kind of discrimination against the candidates who have been preparing for a long time. He has also said that the career of the students is at stake due to delay in the exam results, hence the process should be completed within a fixed time frame. Another demand of Chirag is that local candidates should get fair opportunities in the reinstatement process so that the bright youth of Bihar can be given priority.
No ‘all is well’ in NDA? Growing tension within the alliance
This move of Chirag Paswan is being seen as an internal tussle in NDA. In the politics of Bihar, there are often reports of differences among the allies regarding seat distribution or administrative decisions, but directly attacking the government by writing letters on sensitive reinstatement like that of Assistant Professor is an indication that LJP (Ram Vilas) wants to maintain its separate and independent political identity. Political experts believe that this stance of Chirag Paswan is to strengthen his popularity among the youth. They are trying to give the message that they are not only a part of the government, but they can also raise their voice within the government for the interests of the youth of Bihar. This development has posed a challenge to Samrat Chaudhary and other top leaders as to how to address the discontent of the allies.
Will the issue of caste and reservation again dominate the jobs in Bihar?
Chirag’s insistence on following the reservation rules in the reinstatement of Assistant Professor indicates that the issue of reservation is once again going to be on the top of the election agenda in Bihar. Ever since the decision to increase the scope of reservation based on caste based calculation in the state politics and the subsequent decision, every party wants to strengthen its hold on this issue. This letter of Chirag Paswan confirms that he also wants to maintain pressure on the NDA government regarding the rights of backward people, Dalits and the deprived. It will be interesting for Samrat Chaudhary and the BJP leadership to see how they accept these demands, because if the demands are not met, the opposition will try to take full political advantage of it.
What is the government’s reaction and the way forward?
At present, highly placed sources of Bihar government say that cognizance of Chirag Paswan’s letter has been taken and it will be discussed soon. It will be the government’s effort to avoid any kind of controversy and improve the reinstatement process keeping in mind the future of the youth. State education department officials have been given clear instructions to examine all the points raised by Chirag Paswan. If the government accepts these demands, it will be considered a major political victory for Chirag Paswan, but if there is delay or hesitation, it may further deepen the distrust within the NDA alliance. In view of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, every small and big administrative decision is being seen as a big political message, and this letter from Chirag is definitely going to give a new direction to the politics of Bihar.