In West Bengal, caste census seems to be an issue which has brought the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Opposition BJP on the same platform, with both opposing it.
Although Trinamool Congress leaders avoided comments on record on the issue, stating that either Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or the party’s National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee will comment on it, they did admit, on condition of anonymity, the party’s reservations about the caste census.
The Trinamool Congress’ reasons for opposing this issue are almost the same as that of the BJP. “First it might lead to demands of self-governance in certain areas. Second such a census might lead to the division of the people. Hence, our party leadership is extremely cautious about this matter,” said a member of the state cabinet.
Political observers feel that in a situation where the thought processes of the ruling and principal Opposition parties in a state are identical, there is slim chance of that issue taking a contentious shape. Political observers feel that while the official logic for the Trinamool Congress opposing the caste census has a national perspective, there might be some state- specific reasons behind the ruling party’s reservations in the matter.
The first reason, according to them, might be the rising allegations relating to the issuance of false caste certificates in the state. The issue had sky-rocketed before the recently-concluded panchayat polls in the state where several candidates allegedly presented forged caste certificates so that they could contest from reserved seats.
The second reason, according to political observers, is that since caste-based politics had never been a major factor in West Bengal like in the cow belt, it is an alien area for Trinamool Congress, which the party leadership might try to avoid.
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