Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh – The simmering tension between Akhilesh Yadav and the Congress party shows no signs of abating. The leader of the Samajwadi Party, who has been openly critical of Congress ever since the two parties failed to forge an alliance for the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, took a swipe at Congress during a media interaction in Hardoi on Friday. His comments were directed at Congress's recent endorsement of a caste-based census.

Yadav remarked, "It is the same Congress party that previously hesitated to share caste census data. Now, it's clear to everyone that without the support of backward castes and tribes, political success is elusive. It's almost a miracle that the Congress party suddenly advocates for a caste census. This shift indicates that the votes they once counted on may no longer be in their favor."

Continuing his criticism of Congress, Akhilesh Yadav accused the party of betrayal and emphasized the importance of a clear stance. He expressed concern about the prospects of the INDIA alliance if such confusion persists.

"If Congress had reservations about allocating seats in Madhya Pradesh, they should have conveyed it earlier. Presently, the Samajwadi Party is only contesting in areas where it has a well-established presence. After the Madhya Pradesh incident, it's evident that the INDIA alliance is crucial for national-level parliamentary elections. However, if Congress continues with such ambiguity, who will stand by their side? To challenge the BJP effectively, we must have a unified strategy," Yadav stressed.

The Congress party has been actively championing the cause of a caste census, pledging to conduct such surveys in states under its governance. This commitment follows the release of caste survey data by the Bihar government, revealing significant demographic figures that could influence the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The data indicates that Other Backward Castes (OBC) and Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) together constitute 63 percent of Bihar's population.

According to the survey, Scheduled Castes constitute 19.65 percent, and Scheduled Tribes make up 1.68 percent of Bihar's population. The data also indicates that Hindus make up 81.99 percent, while Muslims account for 17.7 percent, Christians for 0.05 percent, Sikhs for 0.01 percent, Buddhists for 0.08 percent, and other religions for 0.12 percent of the state's population.

The survey further reveals that Yadavs, the OBC group to which Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav belongs, are the largest group, comprising 14.27 percent of the state's population. The Kushwaha and Kurmi communities represent 4.27 percent and 2.87 percent of the population, respectively. Bihar's total population exceeds 13 crore.

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