Socioeconomic equality is the key, not caste divisions

Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari has expressed concerns about the Opposition's demand for a caste census, pointing out that backwardness has become an issue for political exploitation.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarian from Nagpur also believes that his party and the Mahayuti alliance of which it is a part will reverse the trend of the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra - the alliance won only 17 of the 48 seats with the rival INDIA bloc winning 30.

He added that this will be on account of the work done by the Narendra Modi-led Union government and the Mahayuti state government, and because the BJP has managed to address the perception problem that dogged it during the Lok Sabha elections.

Gadkari, speaking in an online session of the 22nd Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, acknowledged that during the national elections this summer, the Opposition succeeded in spreading the perception that the BJP was aiming to change the Constitution and take away the benefits of reservation to the backward and scheduled classes, but that now, the people of Maharashtra know it is not out to do so.

The caste census is not the way to create an equitable society, he said.

"My personal view is no one can become great based on their caste, religion, language and sex but with their qualities. Untouchability and casteism in society must be ended and socioeconomic equality must be established," he said. But "backwardness has become a political interest, everyone wants to prove that he is backward", he added at a session by HT's national political editor Sunetra Choudhury.

The Union government has been non-committal on the inclusion of caste in the upcoming census.

The Opposition has been pushing for this, but Union home minister Amit Shah has said that a decision on this will require more consultation and has not yet been taken. In Maharashtra, the dominant Marathas, comprising roughly 20% of the electorate have been demanding other backward classes (OBC) status.