The two-day meeting of the OBC Advisory Council concluded in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The meeting, chaired by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, was attended by chief ministers and former chief ministers from Congress-ruled states.
From Jharkhand, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Keshav Mahto Kamlesh, Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Yadav, and AICC Secretary Amba Prasad participated in the deliberations.
It was decided during the meeting that a ‘Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan’ (Participation Justice Convention) will be organised in New Delhi on 25 July 2025. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will inaugurate the convention, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will attend the concluding session.
Addressing the council, PCC President Kamlesh expressed gratitude to Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi for the formation of the OBC Advisory Council and said the council would work to shape a policy framework based on the principle of “Jitni Jiski Abadi, Utni Uski Bhagidari.”
He raised concerns about the representation of OBCs in power structures such as the bureaucracy, judiciary, corporate sector, and higher education institutions, stating that the council would help bring these questions into public discussion.
Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Yadav, also addressing the meeting, raised the issue of extending reservation to contractual employees. He said the caste census is not merely a data exercise but a democratic responsibility, and called for reconsideration of the 50 per cent cap on reservations.
The meeting concluded with a resolution to mobilise support and awareness ahead of the 25 July convention in Delhi.