UP conundrum: Smaller BJP allies rally behind caste survey
Political experts felt that the BJP could rely on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, its most charismatic leader
Bihar’s decision to conduct a caste survey and announce its results on Monday put the focus on three of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s key allies in eastern Uttar Pradesh that have demanded a caste count in India’s most-populous state, just months before the 2024 general elections.
These allies -- the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) the Nishad Party and the Apna Dal (Sonelal) -- hold two seats in the Lok Sabha and 24 in the Uttar Pradesh assembly. They are considered important because they control crucial backward caste groups -- Rajbhars back the SBSP, boatmen and fishermen support the Nishad Party and Kurmis vote for the Apna Dal (Sonelal) -- that are key to winning at least 20 to 25 seats on offer in eastern UP.
“Apna Dal has always advocated for a caste-based census and we continue to demand it. I have raised the issue in Parliament as well,” said Apna Dal (S) leader and Union minister Anupriya Patel, a Lok Sabha MP from Mirzapur.
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SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar said they too back the demand for a caste-based survey.
“We continue to seek a caste survey. But while Bihar’s move is a welcome one, one must ask as to whether those castes, which have emerged as most backward and whose numbers are high too in their survey, have actually benefitted over the years in state, which for the last three decades has mostly been ruled either by Lalu Prasad’s RJD or Nitish Kumar’s JD (U),” said SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar.
The BJP sought to counter the Bihar’s caste census move by highlighting the developmental work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “All castes, be it backwards, Dalits or others, are development-oriented for they know they will benefit when development happens. Now, in Uttar Pradesh everyone is getting their rights and respect,” said BJP’s UP other backward classes (OBC) wing chief and backward welfare minister Narendra Kashyap.
“My department’s budget that used to be around ₹500 crore earlier has gone up under Yogi Adityanathji’s government manifold and currently is pegged at ₹2,300 crore...That is why the issue of caste census isn’t getting much attention as OBCs have benefitted under our government like never before,” Kashyap said.
The BJP’s allies also brought up the report by the Rohini Commission, set up to examine the sub-categorisation of OBCs. “We demand that the Rohini Commission report be implemented forthwith so that it can be known why strong backward castes don’t want lesser among the backward castes to benefit,” said SBSP spokesperson Piyush Mishra.
Political experts felt that the BJP could rely on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, its most charismatic leader.
“See PM Modi has already started speaking about his backward status. In his election rallies across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, he has been talking of his ‘pichda (OBC)’ status and slamming the Congress for being anti-backward. This line could soon become the party line,” said political expert Rajesh Patel.
During the monsoon session of the Uttar Pradesh assembly, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had, in response to demands for a caste census from the Opposition , categorically stated that the state government didn’t have any such plans for a similar exercise.
