Nitish, Tejashwi-led delegation to meet Modi to discuss caste census

For the first time, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly Tejashwi Yadav, will together meet PM Modi on August 23 regarding the caste census. Leaders from the BJP, Congress, Left and other parties too will be part of the delegation.

On August 4, Nitish Kumar had written a letter to Prime Minister Modi requesting for a meeting with an all-party delegation from Bihar over the issue of caste census. Tejashwi Yadav had also written a letter to the PM on August 14 demanding a caste census.

“I have been informed by the PMO late Wednesday night. In my letter I had already sent the names of the leaders who would join me in the meeting,” Nitish Kumar told media persons in Patna. “BJP is also giving the names of those who would join the meeting. Tejashwi Yadav will definitely go.”


The delegation will raise the demand for a caste census in 2021.

On July 20, minister of state for home, Nityanand Rai, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, had said that the Union government has decided, as a matter of policy, not to enumerate caste-wise population other than SC and STs in the census.

Caste census is an issue where all parties are on the same page in Bihar and no one wants to be seen as reluctant, considering the OBC vote bank. In February 2019 and 2020, the Bihar assembly had twice unanimously passed a resolution for a caste-based census in 2021.