Jamshedpur: Opposition’s call for caste census will not impact polls, says Babulal Marandi

Jamshedpur, Oct 10: State BJP chief, Babulal Marandi said that the opposition’s demand for a nationwide caste census would not sway the saffron party’s prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and state assembly elections, both slated for next year.

Addressing the media during his visit to Jamshedpur as part of the ‘Sankalp Yatra,’ the former chief minister exuded confidence in the BJP’s performance in Jharkhand. He confidently stated that the party is poised to outperform its 2019 record, emphasizing their commitment to providing a corruption-free government, improving law and order, implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and ensuring comprehensive development if voted to power.

Marandi dismissed the impact of the opposition’s call for a caste census, stating, “We have caste-based reservations across the country. Also, political parties practice the policy of nominating a candidate of a particular caste that is in the majority in a constituency as per party-wide surveys.”

He highlighted that the demand for a countrywide caste census would not hinder the BJP’s electoral prospects.

Backing his argument, Marandi pointed out that over 27 percent of the BJP’s MPs, MLAs, and ministers hail from Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Other Backward Classes (OBC). He underscored that eight ministers in the Union cabinet belong to these categories, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself belonging to the OBC category.

He dismissed the opposition’s push for a caste census, alleging that it was a move aimed at benefiting specific political families.

Looking ahead to the state assembly elections, he expressed confidence in the BJP’s performance, claiming that people are determined to oust the current JMM-Congress-RJD government. Marandi criticized the current government for its failure to curb incidents of rape and murder, which he claimed were occurring on a daily basis.

Highlighting concerns about alleged illegal infiltration in the Santhal Pargana region, Marandi pledged that if the BJP secures power, they would implement the NRC initially in that region. He stated that the objective is to identify infiltrators, address law and order problems, and expose those supporting such activities.