Saharsa/Madhepura/Nalanda, Nov. 4 -- The man who provided an impetus to the social justice (or caste) politics that has characterised Bihar for the past four decades was former CM of Bihar, Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal. He headed the multi-member committee that recommended 27% reservation to the OBCs in 1980. Reservation for OBCs in government jobs was implemented by VP Singh led Janata Dal government in 1988 and extended to admissions in higher education by the UPA government in 2007-08. Both Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD and Nitish Kumar's JD(U) were formed after the collapse of Janata Dal in the 1990s. Mandal's grandnephew Anand Mandal said Lalu Prasad, followed by Nitish used the OBC reservation card to carve out their own caste vote banks, helping their parties rule for 35 years even though the state witnessed anti-caste movements in the past. "Had not Mandal ji deciphered the 1931 caste survey and provided the possible reservation formula, the caste politics of Lalu and Nitish may not have been possible. P3...