Nitish Kumar to hold all-party meet today to discuss Bihar caste survey report

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called for an all-party meeting today (Tuesday) to share the details of the Bihar caste census report and discuss what steps need to be taken further regarding it.

Kumar urged the participation of all nine parties in the state. He said the government will provide detailed information on the calculations behind the results and the economic conditions of the people surveyed.

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The Bihar government will also be releasing the report on the economic condition of the people during the all-party meeting today. Survey on the economic condition of the people also took place simultaneously with the caste survey in the state recently.

The economic condition of the people in Bihar will be shared with the nine political parties which will be attending the meeting.

The political parties that are to attend the all-party meet today are JD(U), RJD, BJP, Congress, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI(ML), and AIMIM.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on Monday, said, “After doing everything, the result came out. We have taken the financial condition of every family. Tomorrow, in the all-party meeting, we will keep everything in front of everyone. The government will take all the necessary steps after taking everyone’s suggestions in the meeting.”

The Bihar government on Monday shared the results of its caste-based survey. The detailed break-up of the survey reveals that the backward classes constitute 27 per cent of the population, while the extremely backward classes (EBCs) comprise 36 per cent. Together, they constitute the numerically powerful Other Backward Classes (OBCs) who have dominated Bihar’s politics since the Mandal wave.

Bhumihars constitute 2.86 per cent of the population and Brahmins comprise 3.66 per cent. The Kurmis – Chief Minister Nitish Kumar belongs to the community – make up 2.87 per cent of the population. Musahars are at 3 per cent, and the Yadavas – Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav’s community – constitute 14 per cent of the population.

Also known as the Bihar Jaati Adharit Ganana, the census shows that Scheduled Castes account for over 19 per cent of the 13-crore population, while Scheduled Tribes make up 1.68 per cent. The upper castes, or ‘savarnas’, form 15.52 per cent of the state’s population.

The survey, which began in January this year, was briefly paused by the Patna High Court, which was hearing a number of petitions challenging the exercise. Leaders of the ruling Mahagathbandhan in the state have been alleging that those filing petitions were “BJP supporters”, a charge denied by the party.

The Bihar Chief Minister said that based on the report, the government will work for the benefit of the backward communities in the state.

Nitish Kumar’s ally, RJD chief Lalu Yadav, said that it was a “historic moment”. In a post on X, Yadav said that “despite many conspiracies by the BJP and legal hurdles”, the Bihar government was able to release the caste-based survey.