On October 2, the Bihar government released the data of its much awaited caste survey in the state. The data revealed that the population of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and that of Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) is 63% of the state population and that OBCs, EBCs, SCs, and STs together account for 84% of the state population; and upper caste groups account for 15.52%.

While opposition parties of the INDIA alliance have welcomed the survey results in line with their rising demand for a national caste census, the BJP is yet to take a clear position.

Activist, psephologist and founder of the Swaraj Abhiyan Yogendra Yadav unpacks this data while speaking with The Wire’s Sravasti Dasgupta and says that the survey results could have a cascading effect across states and pose an electoral dilemma for the BJP ahead of the general elections in 2024.
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