Congress’s EBC Push in UP! Bihar Model Inspires Proposal for 50% Share in Contracts Up to ₹25 Crore

New Delhi: Congress is considering a major Extremely Backward Classes outreach in Uttar Pradesh, drawing on its EBC-focused programme announced in Bihar ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections.

The proposed UP framework includes a dedicated law to protect EBC communities from atrocities, a 50% share for OBC and EBC communities in government contracts worth up to ₹25 crore, residential land for landless EBC families and steps to address the existing 50% reservation ceiling.

The proposal has reportedly been submitted to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. However, the proposal has not yet received final approval.

What Does Congress Mean by EBC?
The Other Backward Classes category covers a large number of communities with varying levels of social and economic development. The proposed UP initiative focuses specifically on communities that Congress categorises as Extremely Backward Classes within the broader OBC grouping.

The party’s proposal argues that many such communities continue to face disadvantages in areas including land ownership, economic resources and representation. Congress’s national OBC Department is headed by Dr. Anil Jaihind, according to the party’s official organisational listing.

Bihar Model at the Centre of the Proposal
The proposed UP strategy draws directly from the ‘Ati Pichhda Nyay Sankalp’ unveiled by the Congress-led INDIA bloc in Bihar in September 2025. The Bihar resolution contained 10 commitments, including an EBC Atrocities Prevention Act on the lines of the SC/ST law, higher reservation for EBCs in local bodies, land for landless families and reservation in government contracts.

One of the key provisions proposed 50% reservation for EBC, OBC, SC and ST communities in government contracts and supply works up to ₹25 crore. Congress is now examining whether similar provisions should form part of its electoral agenda in Uttar Pradesh.

Proposed EBC Atrocities Prevention Law
One of the most significant elements under consideration is an ‘Ati-Pichhda Atyachar Nivaran Adhiniyam’, aimed specifically at protecting extremely backward communities. The proposed legislation would seek to provide legal safeguards against atrocities and discrimination against EBCs, broadly drawing on the framework of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Unlike a measure covering the entire OBC category, the proposed UP law would specifically target communities classified as extremely backward.

50% Share in Government Contracts
Another major proposal is to provide 50% representation to OBC and EBC communities in government contracts worth up to ₹25 crore. The idea is to increase the participation of these communities in government procurement and contracting, extending the Bihar model to Uttar Pradesh if the party leadership approves it. The Bihar resolution had included a broader 50% allocation for EBC, OBC, SC and ST communities in contracts up to the same ₹25-crore threshold.

Land for Landless EBC Families
The proposal also includes providing residential land to landless EBC families so they can construct homes. This too follows the Bihar framework, which proposed three decimals of residential land in urban areas and five decimals in rural areas for landless families from EBC, OBC, SC and ST communities.

Reservation Cap Could Become Another Flashpoint
Congress is also considering a proposal to address the existing 50% ceiling on reservations. Under the reported plan, the Uttar Pradesh Assembly could pass a resolution seeking to raise the ceiling, with the proposal then being sent to the Centre for consideration of inclusion in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. The Bihar EBC resolution had similarly proposed removing the 50% ceiling and using the Ninth Schedule route. Legal experts have noted that Ninth Schedule protection does not automatically place a law beyond judicial review.

Proposal Still Awaiting Final Approval
For Uttar Pradesh, these measures remain proposals rather than announced Congress policy commitments. The party is weighing whether to include the EBC package in its eventual UP election manifesto. The discussion also comes against the backdrop of Congress’s broader efforts to build support among different social groups in the state. If approved, the package would represent a significant expansion of the party’s EBC-focused policy agenda from Bihar to Uttar Pradesh.