Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge announced on Tuesday that if his party wins the upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, they will conduct a caste-based census in the state. Kharge made this declaration during a public rally in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. The assembly elections are expected to take place later this year in the state, which is currently governed by the BJP.
Kharge criticized the BJP government for not implementing the Bundelkhand package recommended by Rahul Gandhi. He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not taking action to address the issues faced by Manipur.
Kharge pointed out that while PM Modi inaugurated a memorial and temple dedicated to Sant Ravidas in Sagar, he oversaw the demolition of another temple dedicated to the same saint in Delhi. Kharge accused PM Modi of only remembering Sant Ravidas during election periods.
According to the 2011 Census, the Dalit population in Madhya Pradesh was recorded at 1.13 crore.
Bundelkhand, located in northeastern Madhya Pradesh, has six Assembly seats reserved for Scheduled Castes. In the 2018 state polls, the BJP won five of these seats, while the Congress won one.
Bundelkhand includes districts like Sagar, Chattarpur, Tikamgarh, Nimari, Damoh, and Panna, with a total of 26 Assembly seats. In the previous state elections, the BJP won 15 seats, the Congress won nine, and the remaining two were won by the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.
