Maharashtra polls: Priyanka Gandhi challenges PM Modi, Amit Shah over caste census

Shirdi (Maharashtra) [India], November 16 : Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to publicly commit to conducting a caste census.
Polling for the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra is scheduled for November 20.
Addressing a public rally in Shirdi, Priyanka Gandhi said, "I challenge PM Modi and HM Amit Shah to stand on a stage and declare that they will conduct a caste census and remove the 50 per cent cap on reservation."
The Congress leader highlighted that her brother Rahul Gandhi undertook the Bharat Jodo Yatra to advocate for a caste census.
"They (BJP) claim my brother is against reservation. This is the same person (Rahul Gandhi) who walked from Manipur to Mumbai demanding justice. He walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir demanding a caste census. They spread lies because they are scared. How can we allocate reservations effectively without knowing the population composition of each caste?" she added.
Priyanka Gandhi's remarks come a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh criticised Rahul Gandhi's stance on the caste census during an election campaign in Jharkhand.
"By talking about the caste census, I believe he is attempting to mislead the people of this country. He must present a clear blueprint on how he intends to allocate reservations to different castes. Let him provide a concrete plan so that a nationwide debate can take place. But for now, he is only misleading the citizens," Rajnath Singh said in response to Rahul Gandhi's comments.
Campaigning in Maharashtra has intensified as both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) vie for voters' support.
In the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP secured 105 seats, Shiv Sena 56, and Congress 44. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the MVA delivered a strong performance, winning 30 of the 48 seats, while the Mahayuti managed to secure 17.