Quota Dispute Escalates As Chirag Paswan And Jitan Manjhi Seek Each Other’s Resignation

A political disagreement has emerged between Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi over the demand for a separate quota sub-category for the most deprived sections among Dalits. The two leaders have taken opposing positions on the issue, with Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan arguing that such a move could divide the Dalit community, while Manjhi has maintained that targeted reservation could benefit the most marginalised groups. The dispute intensified after Manjhi and his son Santosh Kumar Suman, who is a minister in the Bihar government, expressed support for a sub-quota aimed at the most deprived sections within the Scheduled Caste community.

Asked about their position, Paswan criticised the proposal and said it would “create a schism within the community”. He also challenged those supporting the concept of a creamy layer to give up their respective ministerial positions. Paswan's position is consistent with the stand taken by his late father, Ram Vilas Paswan, who had strongly opposed the creation of a separate “Mahadalit” category in Bihar. The category was introduced more than a decade ago during the tenure of then Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as an attempt to focus welfare measures on Dalit communities considered among the most socially and economically disadvantaged.

The issue has particular political significance in Bihar, where caste representation and affirmative action remain important subjects of public and electoral debate. Supporters of a targeted sub-quota argue that benefits intended for Scheduled Castes should reach communities that remain among the most deprived. Opponents, however, have raised concerns that dividing the existing reservation framework into further categories could create divisions within the broader Dalit community. Manjhi, who belongs to the Musahar community, has previously argued in favour of targeted welfare measures for the most marginalised sections among Dalits.

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His position puts him at odds with the Paswan family on the question of internal categorisation. Manjhi has alleged that the Paswan family's opposition to such measures is influenced by an attempt to preserve the dominance of the Dusadh community, to which the Paswans belong. The latest exchange has also brought demands for the ministers to resign into the political debate. Paswan's remarks linking support for the creamy-layer concept with giving up ministerial posts have added another layer to the disagreement between the two leaders.

The comments reflect a wider political contest over how affirmative action and welfare benefits should be distributed among different sections of historically disadvantaged communities. The disagreement between the two Union ministers comes as Bihar continues to debate questions surrounding representation, reservation and the distribution of welfare benefits among Dalit communities. While Paswan has warned against creating divisions within the community, Manjhi and his supporters maintain that greater focus is needed on those who remain at the bottom of the social and economic hierarchy. The competing positions are likely to keep the issue politically significant as discussions over quota policy continue.

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