What is Bahujan Azad Party? A new political outfit for backward classes waiting in the wings

Fifty Indian Institute of Technology alumni from across the country have resigned from their jobs in order to form a political party to fight for the rights of the backward classes like the OBC, SC and ST. The group has named the political outfit Bahujan Azad Party; they have approached the Election Commission for the required approvals.

Naven Kumar, an IIT Delhi graduate leading the party, said groundwork has started for the party and the approvals from EC are awaited.

The party plans to go slow and not aim for the stars right away, and so they won’t be contesting in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. “We do not wish to do a hurried job and end up being reduced to just one of those small political outfits with big ambitions. We will begin with contesting the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections and then aim for the next Lok Sabha polls,” Kumar said.

The main aim of this outfit is to represent the backward classes better. The group comprises of people from the SC, ST and OBC communities and feels that these sects have not received their due in terms of education or employment opportunities.

All set with a poster which has pictures of B R Ambedkar, Subhas Chandra Bose and A P J Abdul Kalam, among others, the party has already begun a social media campaign.

Many renowned leaders in the Indian political class have IIT and engineering backgrounds. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal from IIT Kharagpur, Goa CM Manohar Parrikar and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh are few of the many.

(With inputs from PTI)