Maharashtra Elections 2024: NCP (SP) Chief Sharad Pawar Backs Rahul Gandhi's Call For Caste-Based Census, Criticises Modi Government In Nagpur Rally

Nagpur: The Nationalist Congress Party (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Thursday came out in full support of the demand of caste based census across the country raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

"It is essential to know the numbers of various constituents of the population so that policy decisions are taken accordingly to empower people," Pawar said on arrival here for canvassing support to his party candidates in the region.

"The caste census would provide the background for removing the current 50% ceiling on reservations," said the Maratha supremo that could pave the way for removing the 50 per cent cap on reservation. His clear endorsement of the caste census comes a day after leader of opposition in Parliament Rahul Gandhi’ vociferously raised the demand here at a "Samvidhan Samman Sammelan' on Wednesday. "The current reservation percentage has to be revised so as to benefit the other backward community (OBC)," Pawar added.

The faction of NCP headed by Pawar along with the Congress party and Shiv Sena helmed by Uddhav Thackeray constitute the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) which is hoping to come to power in Maharashtra in the November 20 state election. Along with five guarantees that the MVA announced, it is banking on the caste census to ride to power.

Addressing an election rally at Nagpur, Pawar lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of working in the interest of one particular state and ignoring the others. He was implying that Modi was biased towards Gujarat and so had been diverting to that state investors who wanted to start business in Maharashtra. He named Foxconn company, which he said wabted to start its plant near Pune but was allegedly diverted to Gujarat at Modi's behest.

Pawar also raised the law and order situation under the Mahayuti government pointing out that in Nagpur itself as many as 630 women were reported missing in the last six months. He also claimed that farmers’ suicides had gone up alarmingly during its tenure.

“You should ensure that the government which fails to protect women and farmers is uprooted,” said Pawar appealing to the people to vote for his candidate Duneshwar Pethe who is contesting from Nagpur East constituency.

Pawar said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra promised to provide “five guarantees” for the upcoming Assembly polls which include a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 and free travel in state transport buses for women. It said it would waive farm loans of up to Rs 300,000, and provide Rs 50,000 as financial assistance to farmers who have been regular in the repayment of loans.