Caste survey problem: Why can these 105 assembly seats of Madhya Pradesh become a cause of trouble for Congress?

(Anindya Banerjee)

New Delhi: The Bihar caste survey results have sparked a nationwide debate on the ‘jitni abadi, utna haq’ campaign promoted by top Congress leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and MP Rahul Gandhi. Leaders of the opposition alliance ‘India’ have expressed their support in favor of this issue on social media platform X.

For Congress, the bet of ‘as per population, as many rights’ may backfire on at least 105 seats in Madhya Pradesh, where upper castes dominate. In this matter, BJP is proceeding very cautiously – not supporting any side. Because Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given it a different twist by saying in a public meeting in Chhattisgarh that ‘poverty is the biggest caste for me’.

Dominance of Brahmins in Vindhya, Mahakoshal and Chambal regions
Out of 105 seats dominated by upper castes in Madhya Pradesh, 60 seats are dominated by Brahmins, while on 45 seats Thakurs play a decisive role. The Vindhya region of Madhya Pradesh is one of the few regions in entire India where Brahmins dominate. A study by Azim Premji University states that 29% of the total upper caste voters of Madhya Pradesh are from this region alone. There are 7 districts and 30 assembly constituencies in Vindhya region.

What’s more, 23 out of 30 seats have more than 30% Brahmin voters. Across the state, there are around 45 lakh Brahmin voters, which is more than 10% of the total voters. If you think that Brahmins have dominance only in Vindhya region, then you are wrong. He is also a decisive factor in many assembly seats of Chambal and Mahakaushal region. The importance of this caste can be gauged from the fact that in the last 61 years, 22 Brahmins have become MLAs in Hoshangabad constituency, irrespective of which political party they belong to.

Thakur dominant in MP, 8 ministers from this caste in cabinet
There are at least 45 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh where Thakurs have dominance, if not more. As far as governance is concerned in Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s government, Thakurs are also the most influential caste. There are 8 Thakur ministers in his council of ministers. Just a few months ago, CM Chouhan had to expand the cabinet to rearrange the caste equation. Because by that time the upcoming assembly elections were not looking very promising for the BJP, even in its internal surveys. Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s 34-member strong Council of Ministers now has 12 ministers from upper castes: 3 Brahmins, 8 Thakurs and 1 Kshatriya.

Thakur MLA on 34 out of 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh
Currently, Thakur is MLA on 34 out of 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh. Only this will tell you why there is a public holiday in Madhya Pradesh on the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap, who hails from Mewar, Rajasthan. No surprise, during the election campaign Anurag Thakur and Pramod Sawant were in the state to attend two separate Jan Ashirwad Yatras in Mahakaushal and Malwa-Nimar regions, where they raised eyebrows by sharply criticizing Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comments on Sanatan Dharma. Tried to reach out to the castes.

Elections can be announced in 5 states any day
Both of them also linked Congress to this issue for being the electoral ally of DMK. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar released caste census data, which Rahul Gandhi openly celebrated. He demanded more rights for SC, ST and OBC. The upper castes of Madhya Pradesh are clearly not the most happy with this demand. Let us tell you that the Election Commission can announce the dates of assembly elections in 5 states including Madhya Pradesh any day. The other 4 election states are Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.

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Tags: 5 State Assembly Elections in 2023, Assembly elections, Assembly Elections 2023, Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections 2023