INFO:

November will see both Jharkhand and Maharashtra go to polls. The results of both elections seem to hinge on which party gets the caste equation right. In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena-led government has courted the votes of the SCs and OBCs by taking measures such as asking the central government to increase the non-creamy layer limit from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 15 lakh as well as giving a nod to an ordinance which would give constitutional status to the state Scheduled Caste commission. Meanwhile in Jharkhand, both the JMM-Congress alliance as well as the BJP have courted tribal votes with the BJP hoping that their SOPs for the tribal community will help them breach the Soren fort.