Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday pledged that a state SP government would conduct a caste census within three months of taking office if the Union government did not carry out the exercise, saying the survey was necessary to ensure communities received rights, respect and representation in proportion to their population, according to a report by National Herald India.
Promise made at event marking Rani Avantibai Lodhi
Addressing a convention organised to mark the 196th birth anniversary of freedom fighter Rani Avantibai Lodhi, Yadav said the proposed survey would be used to allocate representation and benefits based on population figures. He framed the pledge as corrective action to guarantee “justice for all” if Delhi did not pursue a nationwide caste enumeration.
“We want everyone to receive rights and respect according to their numbers following the caste census. If the government in Delhi cannot conduct it, we will complete the exercise within three months of forming the Samajwadi government and ensure justice for all,” the report quoted him as saying.
Yadav also announced measures to commemorate Rani Avantibai Lodhi, saying a future SP government would declare 16 August a public holiday for her birth anniversary and would install a statue of the freedom fighter wielding a golden sword at the Gomti Riverfront in Lucknow, as per the same report.
Political pitch and criticisms of the BJP
The SP chief reiterated the party’s PDA platform — a term he uses to denote politics for the backward classes, Dalits and minorities — and argued it represented a broad social coalition. He predicted the Bharatiya Janata Party would lose the Uttar Pradesh assembly election in 2027 and urged the Lodhi community to expect greater respect and representation under his party.
Yadav also levelled criticism at the Centre and the BJP on other issues. He alleged the recent removal of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan was intended to “save the prime minister”, and accused the BJP of hypocrisy over reports of theft of offerings at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying those who spoke of establishing “Ram Rajya” had instead looted Ram’s wealth, according to the report.
- Caste census pledge: SP to conduct within three months if Centre fails.
- Commemoration plans: Declare 16 August a holiday and install a statue at Gomti Riverfront.
- Political messaging: PDA platform emphasised; criticism of BJP on ministerial change and Ayodhya offerings.
The promise of a state-led caste census, if carried out, would raise immediate administrative and legal questions. A census at the state level would require clear methodological design, significant resources for data collection and verification, and legal clarity about whether a state can independently undertake caste enumeration on a scale that affects central schemes and constitutional reservations. The National Herald India report did not detail operational plans or how an SP government would reconcile state-level findings with national policy frameworks.
Yadav’s remarks come as caste-based enumeration has become a politically salient demand in several states and among parties seeking to reshape claims to reservation and welfare distribution. The Union government has so far been cautious about conducting a pan-India caste census, and any unilateral state action could prompt legal challenges or calls for harmonisation with central data systems.
The National Herald India report provides the text of Yadav’s comments at the Rani Avantibai Lodhi event and the policy promises he attached to them. The SP has framed the measures as part of a broader campaign to reconfigure political representation and social justice in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.
