india

Updated: Jan 13, 2019 19:37 IST

A day after President Ram Nath Kovind signed the Constitutional (Amendment) Act 2019 giving 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutes to economically weaker sections in the general category, the BJP government in Gujarat on Sunday announced its implementation.

“There will be 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections in general category in all higher education admissions and government jobs from January 14,” chief minister Vijay Rupani said in a statement.

The release added that this will also be applicable to jobs announcement for which has been made but procedure is yet to commence.

Rupani added that the 10 per cent reservation will be in addition to the 7 per cent quota for the Scheduled Caste, 15 per cent for Schedule Tribes and 27 per cent for the Other Backward Classes in the state.

In 2016, a year after influential Patidars launched an agitation against the state government demanding OBC status, the BJP government had passed an ordinance for 10 per cent reservation to economically weaker sections in general category. The ordinance was quashed by the Gujarat High Court as the Constitution then didn’t allow a quota above 50 per cent.

The Centre’s landmark amendment bill was almost on the lines of the Gujarat government ordinance, allowing the BJP to go back to its promise of reservation to the poor among upper castes.

In the wake of Patidar quota agitation, the BJP had suffered heavy losses in subsequent elections, including the 2015 local body polls and 2017 assembly elections.

With the new Act coming into force months before the Lok Sabha elections, it is expected to help the BJP woo back Patidars, who form 12 per cent of over 6 crore Gujaratis.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had won all 26 seats in Gujarat.