In the smoke and dust of Indian politics, where identity is often currency, the question of OBCs (Other Backward Classes) has returned to centre stage. As the BJP charts its future, the party’s relationship with the OBC voter base stands at a critical inflection point. No party can afford to ignore this bloc, and the BJP, with its grand ambitions, must now navigate a delicate tightrope—balancing upper-caste legacy, backward-caste empowerment, and a shifting social landscape.

At nearly 45 per cent of India’s population, the OBCs are not a vote bank. They are the battleground. Their aspirations are not one-dimensional—they range from economic security and social dignity to political power and symbolic recognition. For decades, these communities were underrepresented in power structures. But over time, parties from the Mandal-era champions like the Janata Dal to regional leaders like Nitish Kumar and Mulayam Singh Yadav emerged from within their ranks.

The BJP entered the OBC game late but aggressively. In the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi—himself an OBC—successfully crafted........

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