Akhilesh Yadav escalates INDIA alliance rift with critique on caste census, Focusing on Rahul Gandhi

Fractures within the Opposition’s INDIA alliance have deepened as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticizes the Congress for neglecting a caste census during its past governments. This discord underscores the challenges within the united front against the BJP in the upcoming national elections.

Yadav, in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, attributes the previous governments’ inaction to flawed policies and mocks Rahul Gandhi’s “X-ray” analogy for the caste census. He contends that the demand for a caste census is a “miracle” coming from Congress, the party that halted the initiative post-independence.

#WATCH | Satna, Madhya Pradesh: On Rahul Gandhi’s statement, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav says, “…Congress is the party which did not conduct caste census after independence… When all the parties in the Lok Sabha were demanding a caste census, they did not conduct a caste census.… pic.twitter.com/aYEaUU9SwT

— ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2023

Accusing Congress of betrayal, Yadav questions their sudden interest in the caste census, suggesting it stems from the realization that their traditional vote bank is eroding. He recalls Congress’s refusal to conduct the census when leaders like Netaji, Sharad Yadav, and Lalu Prasad Yadav raised the issue in the Lok Sabha.

Relations sour further as Yadav alleges that Congress is avoiding an alliance due to disputes over seat-sharing in the Madhya Pradesh elections. He criticizes Congress for not implementing Mandal Commission recommendations and opposing the caste census, claiming both major parties failed the poor and farmers during their state tenures.

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A poster war intensifies the rivalry, with claims of Yadav as the “future prime minister” and Gandhi as the ‘2024 prime minister,’ reflecting the escalating tensions between the two parties.

Despite the strain, Yadav asserts his party’s continued participation in the INDIA bloc. The demand for a caste census becomes a pivotal political issue as the Opposition gears up for the general elections. Even the BJP, previously against a national caste census, hints at reconsideration, with Home Minister Amit Shah emphasizing the need for extensive consultations.

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In a significant development, the Bihar government releases the full report of its controversial state-wide caste survey. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a crucial player in the INDIA alliance, opposes a caste census, revealing further divisions within the Opposition.