The Narendra Modi government may concede the demand for a caste census, succumbing to pressure from a resurgent Opposition and assertive allies, sections in the BJP feel.

The demand for a caste census has gained momentum with NDA allies JDU and LJP joining the aggressive pitch for it, led by leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Hit hard in the Lok Sabha elections by the Opposition’s campaign accusing Modi of plotting to change the Constitution and end reservations, many in the BJP fear that opposing a caste census could inflict severe political damage.

“The political atmosphere in favour of undertaking a caste census has turned so intense that it would be very difficult for our leadership to disregard it,” one BJP leader said.

The RSS was firmly against undertaking a caste census, but some key BJP leaders indicated that the government’s top leadership wants to tread more cautiously. “The BJP under Modi owes its electoral success to the support of sections of OBCs, Dalits and tribals. In such a situation the party cannot take any stand to endanger this vote base,” a senior BJP leader said.

Ideologically, the BJP and the Sangh Parivar are against caste-based counting as it runs against the core effort to bring different castes under the wider Hindutva umbrella. However, the mounting pressure from the Opposition and the allies has put the party in a bind.

Even as the BJP was battling the aggressive pitch by Rahul that “no power can stop a caste census”, NDA ally and food processing minister Chirag Paswan joined the demand last Sunday.

“My party has always favoured a caste census. This (caste census) will allow state and central governments to design schemes keeping in mind the caste equations so that they help integrate backward communities into the mainstream,” the LJP (Ramvilas) president said, responding to a question.

Asked whether the JDU too would demand a caste-based counting when the census exercise is launched, the party’s national general secretary and chief spokesperson, K.C. Tyagi, said: “Certainly. We are the pioneers. The Nitish Kumar government was the first to undertake a caste survey and implement the findings.”

“We will certainly demand a caste count to be done when the census takes place. In the 75th year of Independence, the deprived sections have a right to know where they stand,” the JDU leader added, recalling that the last caste census was done in 1931 and it was necessary to revisit it. “The Opposition will take advantage of this if we fail to do so,” he added, seeking to send a message to the BJP.

Pressure from the Opposition and the allies in the recent past has prompted the Modi government to retract some key decisions such as cancelling lateral hiring into the bureaucracy bypassing reservations and refusing to implement the Supreme Court’s judgement on sub-categorisation of the Scheduled Castes.