Opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav has raised the pitch for a caste census in the UP assembly and tried to drum up support for it from parties close to BJP and its allies.

Political observers see SP’s intensification of its demand for a caste census as an effort to revive the politics of social justice before the 2024 elections. The party has begun block-level campaign, starting with Varanasi, Sonbhadra, Prayagraj, Mirzapur and Bhadohi districts, where workers will meet with people from Backward Classes and raise awareness on the importance of holding a caste census.

“All of us in the Opposition want a caste census. Without caste census ‘sabka saath’ is incomplete. How will ‘sabka saath’ happen when you don’t know how many of us (castes) are there in the population? How will you win everybody’s trust? And there will not be ‘prayaas’ by everyone, the country will not move forward,” Yadav said, alluding to BJP’s election slogan, while participating in a debate in the assembly.

Yadav then turned to SBSP chief OP Rajbhar – who broke the alliance with SP and joined hands with BJP after last year’s assembly elections – and BJP ally Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad, to ask if they favoured a caste census. Rajbhar replied in the affirmative but quipped that Yadav had separated him from his party. Nishad on the other hand reiterated his demand to shift certain OBCs to the SC category and said contradictions should be done away with. Yadav humorously answered, “he (Nishad) may be with them, but in his heart, he is with us.” He added that he was of the opinion that even the Apna Dal (S), another BJP ally, also wanted a caste census to be held.