Deft caste engineering in BJP list

Of 71 candidates, 50% hail from Dalit, OBC, EBC other socially deprived sections, Cong says no confusion over Tejashwi as CM face

- RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi

IN a state where caste calculus defines electoral outcomes, the BJP's first list of 71 candidates for the Bihar assembly elections is a textbook exercise in political social engineering.

Released amid intense jockeying over seat shares within the NDA, the list reflects a sharpened strategy to retain core voters, recapture lost ground, and counter emerging threats while sparing no effort not to alienate the traditional upper-caste supporters.