Foes Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav to meet PM Modi on Monday over caste-based census

The delegation will embrace chief of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav, who’s a powerful critic of the NDA governments on the Centre and state. (Specific Photograph)

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will probably be heading an 11-member delegation, comprising one consultant every from political events within the state, to satisfy Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday on the problem of caste-based census. 

The delegation will embrace chief of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav, who’s a powerful critic of the NDA governments on the Centre and state. 

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Kumar mentioned he’ll request the prime minister {that a} caste census be carried out on the pan-India degree, which based on him, will probably be useful for your entire nation.

Kumar sought to make mild of queries in regards to the BJP, his alliance associate, selecting a Dalit minister to affix the delegation although each his deputies appeared to suit the invoice as they belong to the backward courses.  

“It’s not a difficulty. Each occasion may nominate one one who additionally occurs to be a member of both Home of the legislature. So all events despatched names accordingly. In addition to me there could be 10 delegates, all representing their respective events,” Kumar mentioned Saturday when requested in regards to the saffron occasion selecting up Janak Ram as a member of the delegation.

This has led to murmurs inside each the ruling NDA and the opposition Grand Alliance since Deputy CMs Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi, the latter holding the backward courses welfare portfolio, had been being seen as a extra viable selection.

The demand for a caste census was triggered by an announcement by the Centre in Parliament final month that populations of solely SCs and STs had been proposed to be enumerated. In states like Bihar, the place OBCs have dominated politics for the reason that Mandal period, this has led to a vociferous demand for a headcount of backward courses as effectively.

The chief minister had sought an appointment with the PM after a request to the impact was made by leaders of the Grand Alliance, who identified that the state legislature has twice handed unanimous resolutions in favour of a caste census.

Notably, on each events, all MLAs of the BJP had additionally voted in favour. Nonetheless, the state unit of the occasion appears to be in a quandary of late with the highest management having adopted a distinct stance.

The chief minister was additionally requested whether or not his authorities was ready to conduct a state-specific train within the occasion of the demand getting a chilly shoulder from the Centre.