Caste count: BJP and Congress spar in Rajasthan; experts predict class churn
By : Sandhya
Jaipur: The union cabinet's decision to include caste enumeration in the 2019 general census has sparked a violent political battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, with experts seeing it as a watershed moment in India's sociopolitical environment. While Congress veteran Ashok Gehlot attributed the move to party leader Rahul Gandhi's persistent pressure and framed it as a step toward long-overdue social justice, BJP leader and Rajasthan state president Madan Rathore praised the decision but accused the Congress of politicizing the issue for electoral purposes.
Despite the political squabbles, experts such as political analyst Narayan Bareth and legal voice Satyendra Raghav believe the caste census will initially deepen caste consciousness but will eventually pave the way for a class-based political realignment that will challenge entrenched hierarchies in society and redefine representation in governance.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot claimed that the government was forced to agree to a caste census due to pressure from the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi.