As the political dynamics in Bihar begin to intensify with the upcoming Assembly elections later this year, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks last week regarding the Bihar caste survey have provided both the BJP and Janata Dal (United) with an opportunity to launch attacks on the Opposition-led Mahagathbandhan, of which Congress is a member.

During the Congress’s Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan in Patna on January 18, Gandhi stated that the Mahagathbandhan government would conduct a “caste census” but emphasized that it would be different from the Bihar caste survey, which he described as a tactic to deceive the public. “We will not carry out the caste census like Bihar’s, which was designed to fool people. Our census will provide a clear picture of the proportion of different caste groups in every sector,” he said, reinforcing Congress’s stance on breaking the 50% quota ceiling.

The Bihar caste survey was carried out under the Mahagathbandhan government, led by Nitish Kumar of JD(U) with support from Congress and RJD. The RJD, which has had its fair share of tensions with Congress in recent months, defended Gandhi’s comments, suggesting that he was questioning why the Bihar government’s decision to raise quotas for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from 50% to 65% was not incorporated into the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. Including the decision in the Ninth Schedule would have shielded it from judicial review.

This increase in quotas was announced after the publication of the 2022 caste survey, which revealed that 36.1% of Bihar’s population were EBCs and 19.65% were SCs. However, the Patna High Court overturned the decision in June 2024, nullifying the increased quotas in government jobs and educational institutions.

Bihar’s state Congress leadership also rallied behind Gandhi’s position. “Rahul Gandhi ji was referring to the Nitish Kumar government’s failure to get the quota hike incorporated into the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. His frustration with the Bihar caste survey arose from discrepancies, such as the exclusion of numerous individuals’ names, and his discontent with Nitish Kumar, who has failed to push for a national caste survey despite his significant NDA alliances,” said Prem Chandra Mishra, a senior Congress leader in Bihar. He further stated, “The Bihar BJP has no moral ground to criticize Rahul ji, given their long-standing opposition to any caste survey.”

RJD national spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta added that Gandhi’s statement should be considered within a larger context. “After the caste survey results, Nitish Kumar promised Rs 2.5 lakh crore worth of welfare schemes over five years. What happened to those promises? And now that the Patna High Court has struck down the quota increase, why isn’t the Bihar CM demanding that the Modi government include the decision in the Ninth Schedule for constitutional protection?” Mehta said.

JD(U) leaders, on the other hand, condemned Gandhi’s comments, calling them “irresponsible.” Senior JD(U) leader and Bihar minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary asked, “Wasn’t he aware that the Congress supported the Bihar caste survey from the very beginning?” Another JD(U) leader highlighted that the party had officially requested the Prime Minister to include the raised quota in the Ninth Schedule.

The BJP also weighed in, with Nikhil Anand, national general secretary of the BJP OBC Morcha, accusing Congress of being “anti-OBC.” “Rahul Gandhi must clarify why Congress sabotaged the 2011 caste census (the Socio-Economic Caste Census under the UPA government), wasting over Rs 5,000 crore of taxpayers’ money. Now, they are attempting to play social justice politics to corner parties like the Samajwadi Party, RJD, BSP, and DMK for their political survival. Meanwhile, PM Modi has been a true advocate for social justice, through initiatives like granting constitutional status to the NCBC, securing OBC reservation in NEET, setting up a capital venture fund for OBCs, and bestowing the Bharat Ratna on Karpoori Thakur,” Anand stated.