At a large demonstration on Sunday at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, IP Gupta, the president of the All India Paan Mahasangh and the leader of the “Hanko Rath Hum Paan Hain Andolan,” announced the formation of his new political organization, the “Indian Inquilab Party.” This was a momentous political move.

Gupta said that the “Indian Inquilab Party” would run in the next Bihar Assembly elections to defend the rights and representation of the Paan (Tanti-Tantwa) people, bolstered by a large turnout of supporters from all around Bihar.

“This is a revolution, not only a rally. The Paan community is unified and prepared to fight for its rights, as seen by the Gandhi Maidan gathering, Gupta added.

After the community suffered a setback, the party was formed. The Tanti-Tantwa caste was given Scheduled Caste (SC) status by the Bihar government in 2015, placing them within the Paan community.

However, this SC status was withdrawn in a July 15, 2024, Supreme Court ruling, which caused a great deal of popular outrage and mobilization.

Since the ruling, IP Gupta has led a statewide campaign calling for the Paan community’s SC designation and reserve rights to be reinstated.

His campaign trip came to an end at the Patna rally, and a new chapter in his political life began.

After failing to get “concrete assurances” on the reservation issue, Gupta, who temporarily joined the Congress party, said that he had split from the party.

He did not specify if he would want to form an alliance with any pre-existing parties when he established the “Indian Inquilab Party.”

“We’ll go onto the electoral field well prepared. Gupta energized his fans by declaring, “This is the time for our community to show its power in the assembly election.”

The arrival of the Indian Inquilab Party and IP Gupta’s targeted campaign on caste-based rights and justice are expected to provide a fresh perspective to Bihar’s political scene as the election season approaches.