Mayawati Applauds Bihar Caste Census For Turning Politics In Favour Of 'Bahujan Samaj'; Demands Survey In UP, Country

A day after the Bihar government released its caste survey, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati praised the survey as the "first step in the long struggle for the constitutional rights of Other Backward Classes (OBCs)."

Through a series of posts on X on Tuesday (3 October), she urged the Uttar Pradesh government to conduct a caste survey or census as well and suggested that the ultimate solution would come through a nationwide caste survey conducted by the central government.

"BSP is pleased that the nation's politics is shifting in favor of the neglected 'Bahujan Samaj,'" she remarked. She also noted that parties with anti-OBC and anti-Mandal tendencies, as well as those promoting casteism and communalism, appear to be concerned about their future.

The Bihar government's caste survey revealed that the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) and the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) constitute 63 per cent of the state's total population.

Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav have stated that dedicated plans and policies will be formulated and implemented for the marginalized sections of society identified in the survey.

These findings are expected to have significant political implications leading up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly in light of the Opposition's demand for a nationwide caste census, Indian Express anticipated.

Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party and a member of the Opposition's INDI Alliance, described the survey as the "mathematical basis of social justice" and called on the BJP government to conduct a nationwide caste census. He emphasised that a caste census is crucial for the country's progress.

Meanwhile, the BJP's ally, Apna Dal (Sonelal), expressed support for a caste-based census, reiterating its long-standing advocacy for such an initiative.

Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), another BJP ally, emphasised the necessity of a nationwide caste census for the social empowerment of deprived, poor, and oppressed sections, although it raised concerns about the accuracy of the counting process for certain castes.