Lalu Prasad Yadav fasts for caste census data release, calls Narendra Modi "Kaliya Naag"

PATNA: Mandal spirit saw a revival in poll-bound Bihar on Sunday as RJD chief Lalu Prasad was joined by JD(U)’s Sharad Yadav when he sat on a fast to protest against non-publication of caste-based census data.

“The Modi government is withholding census data because it is anti-poor, anti-Dalit and anti-backward. Once the data is out, the budget will have to be prepared accordingly. Even among the upper castes, there may be people who are poor,” he said.

The maverick politico, having arrived in a tumtum or horse-drawn cart, said new data would open demand for augmenting reservation for the downtrodden and sociallydisadvantaged. “Present reservation quota to SC/STs is limited and based on caste census data of 1931.”

Sharad Yadav joined Lalu around noon in a gesture of Yadav unity, at a time when rebel RJD MP from Madhepura Pappu Yadav is flexing muscle. Sharad made it clear he had specially flown from Delhi to support his “courageous” brother (Lalu). Clearly, the two have realised benefits of the Mandal plank — that had consolidated OBCs in the 1990s — in view of the fact that bulk of the upper caste votes will be bagged by the BJP.

OBCs account for nearly 60% of the electorate and the caste census issue can unite them while painting BJP as an upper caste outfit. The Yadavs’ demand could be prelude to a likely push in pushing OBC job quota beyond 26%.