The Congress party and its allies have promised to remove the 50% cap on reservation for the backward sections of society, such as Dalits, Adivasis, and OBCs, if they come to power in the Lok Sabha elections. They have also pledged to conduct a nationwide caste census as part of the decennial census, which was due in 2021. The Congress leaders claim that these steps are necessary to ensure social and economic justice for the marginalized groups, who are underrepresented in various sectors and institutions. The 50% cap on reservation was imposed by the Supreme Court in 1992, in a landmark judgment known as the Mandal judgment. The Congress party argues that this cap is arbitrary and unconstitutional, and that the reservation should be based on the proportion of the population. The Congress party has also adopted a slogan of ‘Jitni Abaadi Utna Haq’ (rights according to population) to appeal to the backward voters.
The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have opposed the Congress party’s proposals, saying that they are divisive and opportunistic. Modi has said that he is the biggest OBC, and that the Congress party has done injustice to the backward leaders and communities in the past. Modi has also tried to redefine the caste groups in India, saying that there are only two castes – the rich and the poor. He has said that his government is working for the welfare of the poor, the youth, the women, and the farmers, irrespective of their caste. Modi has also accused the Congress party of trying to topple the JMM-Congress-RJD government in Jharkhand, which is led by a tribal chief minister. Modi has said that the BJP respects the federal structure and the mandate of the people.
The issue of reservation and caste census has become a major political battleground in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, which are expected to take place in a few months. The Congress party and its allies hope to win the support of the backward voters, who constitute a large and influential segment of the electorate. The BJP and Modi hope to counter the Congress party’s claims and retain their popularity among the backward voters, who have largely voted for them in the previous elections. The outcome of the elections may depend on how the voters perceive the promises and performance of both the parties on the issue of reservation and caste census.
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