Government to take decision after studying Bihar census report
Fadnavis said even Congress-led state governments are yet to take a decision in this regard. File pic
Following reports that the Bihar government has completed the caste census, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday that the state government too was positive about the move, but it would first study the official Bihar report. The announcement came after the BJP started the OBC Janajagruti Yatra's first leg in Vidarbha, the party's citadel where it has been winning more seats than the Opposition, because of the OBC vote bank.
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Currently, the state is seeing agitations by various castes and caste groups for reservations. The Marathas want their quota restored or be included in the OBC category, which staged a counter-agitation to seek assurance from the government that their share would be intact. The OBCs have been arguing that though their number is much higher they have not been given a quota proportional to their total strength. Approximately 400 castes comprise the OBCs in Maharashtra. They fear that the inclusion of Marathas would create a further imbalance.
Fadnavis said, “We have not seen the Bihar report yet. We will study its official version first to know the authenticity, outcome and impact, and methodology used. CM Eknath Shinde would take an appropriate decision. We are not averse to the idea of such kind of census. He added that Nitish Kumar-led Bihar was the only state to carry out this kind of census. “Even the Congress-led state governments have not taken a decision (for the census) yet,” he said.
400
Approx. No. of castes that comprise OBCs in state
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