Akhilesh Yadav promises caste census for backward communities if elected to power

As political leaders and parties prepare for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, on Thursday, promised to conduct a caste census for backward communities if his party is voted to power. He said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has chosen not to conduct the census and added that the SP will hold the same if elected to the state government.

“BJP government does not want to conduct caste census for backward communities. I want to assure you all that we will do it for you if voted to power,” he said.

Addressing a public rally in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, Yadav also criticised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the law and order situation in the state. The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister claimed that the number of custodial deaths has increased in Uttar Pradesh.

“The CM keeps saying that the law and order situation in the state is good. But, I can give many examples of how innocent people were killed under the BJP government. A young man was picked by police and beaten to death. Most custodial deaths have taken place under the BJP government in UP,” he said.

Speaking to the public ahead of the polls, Akhilesh Yadav also informed that his party will forge alliances with several other parties soon. “There are going to be more alliances very soon. If this BJP government remains in power, it will snatch everything from people,” he said. 

UP Assembly polls 2022

The state ruling BJP is fighting under the leadership of incumbent Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. While SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has announced that he will not fight the polls personally, the Samajwadi Party is expected to ally with smaller political parties for the 2022 state Assembly elections. Mahan Dal, NCP, SBSP are some of the names that have emerged.

Meanwhile, BSP's Mayawati has already announced that her party will fight polls alone in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and with the Akali Dal in Punjab. Congress has aggressively campaigned under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi in the state, eyeing a comeback. 

(With inputs from ANI, Image: PTI)