Opposition prods Nitish Kumar, as CM castes census net before RS, Presidential elections

Essential opposition events of Bihar have welcomed chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Could 27 all-party meet proposal to debate the caste census. Because the nimble-footed political participant Kumar assessments ally BJP with the ‘caste-census plank’ – at a time when the BJP-JDU coalition chemistry in Patna appears to be getting spicier forward of the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls and amid the scope for deft political positioning (or, repositioning) and bargaining for the Presidential elections – opposition leaders argued that in view of unanimous decision handed by the Bihar legislature for caste census, the state authorities “has powers to conduct a Bihar-specific caste census” even when the Centre and RSS-BJP oppose it.

“The RJD has been combating for caste-based census and we will be unflinching in our stand. Whereas (RJD chief) Tejashwi Ji has been vocal on the matter, our get together absolutely backed the decision within the Home. Lately, Tejashwiji and CM Nitishji additionally mentioned the necessity for an all-party assembly. Allow us to see whether or not the BJP will now attend the all-party assembly and help the caste census,” RJD chief Shivanand Tiwari advised ET.

His response got here after Kumar advised media individuals in Patna about him proposing Could 27 for the all-party assembly: “Many events have agreed to the date. However we will need to have the consent of all events for holding the assembly on any explicit date… There must be no downside since each Homes of legislature within the state have twice handed resolutions favouring a caste census,” Kumar stated.

When contacted, CPI-ML common secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya stated, “the CPI-ML is a celebration to the decision handed by the Bihar meeting, in search of caste-based census. We had been a part of the delegation that met the PM for a similar. Whereas we are going to take part within the all-party assembly, in view of the actual fact the Bihar legislature has already handed a decision, the state authorities can go forward and conduct a caste census within the state even when the Centre and the BJP now select to oppose caste-census.”

AICC common secretary Tariq Anwar stated, “the Congress get together’s Chintan Shivar and Udaipur declaration have clearly asserted our get together’s dedication for holding a caste census. We, subsequently, again CM Nitish Kumar’s name for an all-party assembly and we are going to absolutely lengthen our help for any ahead motion on holding the caste census. We hope the CM will stand by his phrases.”

Opposition leaders additionally stated if BJP tries to queer the pitch on the all-party, opposition events have sufficient numbers to neutralise the saffron get together, supplied the CM stands agency on the matter. They level out the RJD-Congress-Left mix has about 110 MLAs within the Bihar meeting in opposition to BJP’s 75, which supplies majority to Kumar’s 43-member JDU. Whereas Kumar’s ‘caste census’ plank ought to anger BJP’s higher caste social base, it fits Kumar’s OBC base as a lot because it fits RJD’s and different opposition sections. How the caste-census plank will likely be ultimately used within the season of checkmating and bargaining of Bihar’s coalition politics is being intently watched.