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Caste politics plays out in UP as the CM echoes the opposition parties’ demand for a caste-based census following Bihar’s example
The caste politics of Uttar Pradesh once again came to the fore with Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) OBC leader and deputy Chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya finding himself in the midst of it.
Amid the opposition’s plan to corner the ruling BJP on the issue, Dy CM Maurya said, “I am all for it (caste census). Neither I nor my party is opposed to the subject.”
Maurya’s remarks drew a lot of attention, because the BJP, which favours a casteless society, has been mostly silent on the subject.
The demand for a caste census is based on the premise that it would help the government rework its social justice rollout and identify such caste groups that are unrepresented or underrepresented.
Bihar Dy CM Tejaswi Prasad Yadav said, “If there is backwardness because of caste, such backwardness can be eradicated only through a caste-based survey by collecting scientific data.”
Last month, Bihar deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav had rolled out caste based survey, calling it a historic step.
Both Yadav and Maurya come from OBC castes. While Maurya comes from prominent non-Yadav caste that lifted fortunes of the BJP in 2017 state polls and subsequent 2019 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls 2022.
Many say that OBCs that comprise nearly a chunky 40 per cent of overall in Uttar Pradesh is solely responsible for BJP’s success in the state and how it shored up support among non-Yadav OBCs and non-Jatav Dalits in the state.
Asked about the move by Bihar’s OBC parties to go for a caste census, Maurya said: “Caste census taken up by any state government, is the prerogative of that government. How can I say if they are acting against the Constitution?”
In its first term, the CM Yogi government had undertaken a social justice survey, though the survey committee report, which outlined more representation for lesser-represented Dalit and OBC groups, hasn’t been implemented yet.
Hours after Maurya’s comments, the opposition Samajwadi Party questioned the UP government about its plans to conduct the caste-based census.
“By supporting the demand for a caste census, the BJP’s deputy CM Keshav Prasad has now raised questions about his own party’s governments at the Centre and in UP,” SP said.
“Akhilesh Yadav was the first to raise the caste census demand and has since done so continuously. Will Yogiji now tell us when, like in Bihar, a caste census will be ordered in UP?” asked the SP.
“Ram Mandir Trust has just one Dalit and no OBC,” the SP added while asking if the temple trust is in the grip of upper castes too.
The timing of Maurya’s comments holds significance as OBC parties in the BJP’s alliance – Nishad party – are calling for a caste-based census.
Some others, like the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), are also demanding the same. SBSP parted ways with the BJP in 2019, citing the non-implementation of the social justice committee report as one of the reasons for its decision.
