Pressure of colleagues and concern of Bihar
This was the issue of the opposition as well as the allies of BJP. BJP's ally JDU, LJP (Paswan) had also demanded this. When Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was in the grand alliance, his government conducted a caste survey. Tejashwi Yadav of RJD has been taking credit for this. Along with meeting the demand of allies, the BJP has abolished the issue of opposition before the Bihar assembly elections. The opposition will definitely redeem that their demand is fulfilled and the government had to bow down. But BJP and NDA can use it in their own benefit by taking credit.
Disadvantage from opposition campaign
In the Lok Sabha elections, the opposition launched a campaign that the BJP wants to end reservation. It also suffered a lot of damage to the BJP, which BJP leaders even believed that the opposition tricked people and spread lies, which was damaged. The opposition was constantly looking at the caste census with reservation. It also seemed that the caste census could get angry with the alleged upper cast vote bank of the BJP. The BJP has done many exercises to increase and save Dalits and OBC vote banks in the recent past. After which this decision has now been taken.
West Bengal and UP elections are also to be held after Bihar. The central government decided to census caste census before this would have become a big issue among the OBC vote bank in the elections here. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar welcomed the decision of caste census and said that this was the old demand of us. BJP leaders are also associating it with social justice and saying that this is an important decision for social justice.
Union's attitude is not tough
Earlier, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was showing a tough stand on the caste census and the people of the Sangh believed that this would increase the social gap. The Sangh has been emphasizing Hindu unity anyway. In December 2023, Sridhar Gadge, co -unionist of Vidarbha of the Sangh, said that there should not be a caste -based census. He had said that some people may benefit politically from such exercise, but it is not socially and good in terms of national unity. However, in September last year, the All India Publicity Head of the Union in Kerala Sunil Ambekar said that 'caste is a very sensitive issue in our Hindu society.
Census is important for our national unity and security. It should be done with great seriousness. We have no disagreement in the use of caste census data for public welfare works for the good of the backward classes in the society. However, it should not be used by selfishness of social disintegration or benefiting in elections'. After seeing the soft trend from the Sangh, the central government proceeded to take this decision.