Suvendu Adhikari-led Bengal govt restores OBC status to 66 communities, many from Muslim groups
In a major move with significant political and social implications, the BJP government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday regularised 66 communities that were part of West Bengal’s OBC reservation list before 2010.
The decision comes just days after the new state government scrapped the existing OBC list following a court ruling.
Under the fresh notification issued by the Backward Classes Welfare Department, these communities will now be eligible for 7 per cent reservation in government jobs and services.
Several Muslim communities included
The restored list includes several traditional caste and occupational groups, many of them from the Muslim community.
Among those included are Kapali, Kurmi, Nai (Napit), Tanti, Dhanuk, Kasai, Khandait, Turha, Paharia Muslim, Devanga and Hajjam (Muslim), among others.
The notification also includes people who converted from the Scheduled Castes to Christianity and their descendants.
Move linked to Calcutta High Court verdict
The government said the decision was taken in compliance with a May 2024 order of the Calcutta High Court, which struck down the OBC status granted to several communities in West Bengal.
The court had ruled that the inclusion of many groups under the West Bengal Backward Classes Act, 2012, was illegal and unconstitutional.
It also scrapped the state’s category-wise reservation structure that provided 10 per cent quota for Category A (more backward classes) and 7 per cent for Category B (backward classes).
Following the verdict, OBC reservation in the state has effectively been capped at 7 per cent.
Political and social impact
The BJP government has projected the move as an attempt to ensure transparency and social justice while complying with judicial directives.
However, the decision is expected to reshape caste and community equations in West Bengal, particularly among OBC groups and minority communities.
Experts believe the move could intensify competition for reservation benefits within backward classes and may force the government to redesign the state’s reservation framework eventually.
The development is also likely to become a major political flashpoint between the BJP and the opposition Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress ahead of future elections.
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