Regime Changers: Emergence of OBCs as a decisive factor in polls

Other Backward Castes (OBCs) are the largest voter bloc amongst the Indian electorate. They constitute 40% of India’s population according to the 62nd round (2005-06) survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO). OBCs outnumber Muslims in the country by nearly 3.5 times and are almost twice as the population of scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs) taken together. Some states with a high proportion of OBCs are: Tamil Nadu (72%), followed by Bihar, Kerala (58% each), and Uttar Pradesh (50%), where the OBCs have had a decisive say in politics.