Bihar CM must resign over quota row, says Sushil Modi

PATNA: Rajya Sabha member and senior BJP functionary Sushil Kumar Modi (SuMo) on Sunday demanded resignation of CM Nitish Kumar for failing to comply with the "triple test" criteria asked by the Supreme Court before the elections to the urban local bodies (ULBs) that has ultimately led to the deferment of the polls and consequent deprivation of reservation benefits to the extremely backward caste (EBC) sections in the state.
"Nitish should take responsibility for the deprivation of the reservation benefits to the EBC sections and quit his post. His government did not comply with the observance of the 'triple test' criteria that the Supreme Court had ordered before holding the ULB polls," SuMo told reporters at the state BJP headquarters.
He said the flip-flop on the part of Nitish has deprived the EBC sections of the posts of mayor and deputy mayor.
"Even as the Supreme Court had given the order regarding the triple test criteria in respect of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, it was mandatory for all the states and Union territories," SuMo said.
The triple test criteria comprise constitution of a dedicated commission to quantify the relative political backwardness of the OBC/EBC sections, grant of reservation benefits in proportion to the political backwardness, and the ceiling that the reservation granted will not exceed 50% mark.