Caste census amidst Bihar polls: NDA boasts of a coming ‘aandhi’, RJD to demand specifics

By Admin

03 May, 2025

As Bihar moves into election mode, the politically sensitive issue of caste census has taken center stage, with both the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) staking claims over it. What began as the Opposition’s key poll pitch is now being aggressively championed by the NDA as its own initiative, sparking a fierce political battle ahead of the state Assembly elections.

NDA’s Confidence: “We Did It”

The Narendra Modi-led Union government’s recent approval of caste enumeration in the next national Census has changed the game. For the NDA, this move is not only a policy shift but also a calculated electoral strategy. JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha has made it clear that the caste census issue now plays to their advantage. “The Opposition may have demanded it, but we delivered it,” he emphasized. Citing Nitish Kumar’s earlier caste-based survey in Bihar, Jha noted that the move to increase reservation quotas was also the Chief Minister’s decision, strongly supported by the BJP.

JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad outlined a state-wide campaign strategy to hammer home the message that the caste census is an NDA accomplishment. Meetings, press briefings, and public addresses are set to highlight the historical reluctance of earlier governments—particularly the Congress—to act on this issue, despite having been in power for decades. “The RJD didn’t push for the release of the 2011 SECC data when it was with the UPA. Now that the Bihar model has gone national, we’ll remind voters of who truly led the change,” Prasad asserted.

BJP’s Stand: From Denial to Determination

Although the BJP was once accused of avoiding the caste debate—exemplified by PM Modi’s earlier remark that India has only four castes: women, youth, farmers, and the poor—there is now a visible shift. Party leaders in Bihar acknowledge that the 2024 general election results were a wake-up call. “The anti-reservation tag is something we must shake off,” said a senior BJP leader, pointing out that the party has increasingly seen support from OBC and EBC communities.

State BJP vice-president Santosh Pathak insisted that the party was never against caste census in Bihar. “We were part of the alliance that passed it in the Assembly. The Modi government’s decision is a continuation of our commitment to uplift all communities,” he said.

RJD’s Counterattack: Where’s the Reservation Hike?

While the NDA boasts of initiating the census, the RJD isn’t backing down. Instead, it is sharpening its focus on what follows the enumeration—an increase in reservations. Tejashwi Yadav and his party have consistently argued that caste census should lead to proportional representation in jobs and education. On March 9, he even led a dharna demanding 65% reservation in state government jobs.

RJD MP Sudhakar Singh raised a significant concern: “Yes, a caste census is happening. But what next? When Bihar increased the reservation to 65%, the court struck it down. We asked the Centre to place it in the Ninth Schedule. They didn’t. This is nothing but an election stunt.”

The party also credits its persistent pressure campaign for forcing the government’s hand. Quoting RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad’s colorful warning to the BJP—“We will hold the RSS and the BJP by the ear and make them squat to get the caste census done”—the party hopes to keep the spotlight on the question: will the data lead to real policy change?

Looking Ahead: A Battle of Narratives

As Bihar prepares for elections, the caste census has become more than just a policy tool—it’s a symbol of political positioning and power play. The NDA wants to ride a wave of public approval by claiming ownership of the initiative, even as the RJD gears up to demand specifics and accountability.

Will voters respond to the NDA’s promise of social justice through data, or will they be swayed by the RJD’s demand for genuine quota reform? One thing is certain: the caste census will dominate the narrative, and its political storm—an ‘aandhi’, as the NDA puts it—is only beginning to build.