Chhattisgarh : Congress MP Rahul Gandhi made a significant announcement on Saturday, reaffirming the Congress party’s commitment to conducting a caste-based census if it assumes power at the national level. During his address in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker, ahead of the state assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi called out Prime Minister Narendra Modi, questioning why the government is hesitant to initiate such a census.
Gandhi stated, “We will expedite the caste-based census as swiftly as possible. If our government takes office, the process will commence within two hours. And if the Congress government is formed in Chhattisgarh, then the state government will initiate the caste-based survey.”
He further probed, “Why are you (PM Modi) apprehensive about an OBC caste-based census? Why is there no mention of it in your speeches? What about the data we compiled during our tenure? In today’s India, the OBC community is not adequately represented. It seems like you are concealing this reality from the OBC youth.”
In preparation for the state assembly elections, the Congress has fielded Shankar Dhruv from the Kanker (ST) seat, reserved for Scheduled Tribes. Girish Devangan is the Congress candidate for Rajnandgaon, and Savitri Mandavi is contesting from the reserved constituency of Bhanupratappur (ST).
The first phase of polling for 20 seats in Chhattisgarh is scheduled for November 7. After the initial phase, the remaining 70 seats in the state will go to polls on November 17, with the vote count taking place on December 3.
Elections in Chhattisgarh will be contested across 90 assembly seats, with both major parties, the BJP and Congress, having finalized their lists of candidates. The Congress, the ruling party in the state, has nominated leaders like Ambica Singh Deo from Baikunthpur, Chaturi Nand from Saraipali, Ambina Markam from Sihawa, and Omkar Sahu from Dhamtari.
