NDA against caste census, reservation, alleges Tejashwi
Patna (PTI): Alleging that the NDA governments at the Centre and in Bihar were against caste census and reservation, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday asserted that such an enumeration was "like an X-ray", ascertaining population of various caste groups and their socio-economic conditions.
Addressing party workers while leading a dharna at the RJD office in Patna, Yadav sought to know from the JD(U) its stand on the demand for inclusion of the hiked quota for deprived castes in Bihar in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
"The Mahagathbandhan administration in Bihar last year urged the Centre to incorporate the hike in reservation from 50 to 65 per cent in state government jobs and educational institutions in the Ninth Schedule. But they did not do it. The NDA governments at the Centre as well as in the state are against reservation for the deprived section of the society and also against caste census," he said.
"I must say that caste census is like an X-ray that will ascertain the population of various caste groups and socio-economic conditions of the impoverished sections of the country," he added.
Yadav's RJD organised dharnas across the state, demanding the inclusion of the hiked quota in the Ninth Schedule and the implementation of a nationwide caste census.
The Ninth Schedule of the Constitution is a list of central and state laws that cannot be challenged in courts.
"I simply ask one question to the JD (U) leaders, they must tell people whether they are in favour of putting it in the Ninth Schedule or not. If yes, then why are they not doing it when they are part of the NDA? And if not, they must say it. Why is the CM maintaining a stoic silence over the issue? What happened to him?" asked Yadav.
"BJP wants the son of a garbage collector to clean drains. All the veteran socialist leaders, from time to time, talked about the caste census. Our great leaders always talked about the reservation and talked about those sections that are at the bottom of the society, whether Dalits, tribals or socially marginalised people," he added.
Yadav also accused the BJP and its allies of celebrating when "Bihar was denied special category status".
"JD(U) leaders were happy when Bihar was not given the special category status. They are not interested in the overall development of Bihar at all," he alleged.
Reacting to Yadav's comments, JD(U) spokesperson Sanjay Kumar Jha said the chief minister ensured that a caste survey took place in the state.
"He took all affirmative actions regarding it. The opposition leaders in Bihar are people who did not even provide reservation in panchayats when they were in power," he said.
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
