Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav stated on Wednesday that if JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar is a “kingmaker,” he should use this power to get a special status for Bihar and push for a caste census across the country.
With the BJP falling short of a majority, securing only 240 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, they need the support of allies to form the government for a third term. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 293 seats overall, with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) winning 16 and 12 seats respectively. Their support is crucial for PM Modi to stay in power.
“Bihar is now a kingmaker. Whoever forms the government, the kingmaker should ensure that Bihar gets a special status, the 75 percent reservation we implemented is added to Schedule 9, and a caste census is conducted across the country,” Tejashwi Yadav said.
He added, “This has been our demand for a long time, and Nitish Kumar has supported it. If he is a kingmaker, he should at least secure a special status for Bihar and push for a caste census nationwide.”
Earlier, Yadav and Nitish Kumar flew together to Delhi from Patna, sparking rumors of Nitish joining the Opposition camp, which has 233 seats. However, Yadav dismissed these rumors, saying their conversation on the flight was just polite exchanges.
The INDIA bloc has taken a cautious approach to forming a government. After meeting at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence, the alliance leaders indicated they would not rush into anything.
“We will take appropriate steps at the right time to fulfill the people’s desire to not be ruled by the BJP. This is our decision,” Kharge said, reading a joint statement from the alliance on Wednesday.