Now that Opp is getting united, BJP showing nerves, says Nitish

Nitish also put to rest yet again the speculation that he is in the race to be the prime Minister.

The Chief Minister spoke with the media at his home in Bakhtiyarpur, near Patna, where he went to mark the beginning of the second and final phase of the caste survey — he was there to submit his answers to a set of 17 questions as part of the survey, which asks one’s caste, religion, occupation, sources of income, residential status and other such details.

Stepping up pressure on the Centre to conduct a nationwide caste census, the JD(U) chief said this will “ensure comprehensive and holistic growth of all sections of the society”.

As some supporters raised the slogan “Desh ka PM kaisa ho, Nitish Kumar jaisa ho (how should the PM be like, he should be like Nitish Kumar)”, the CM said: “Arre bhai, hum nahi banenge (I am not in PM race).”

Nitish said that he discouraged supporters from raising such slogans at the JD(U) office on Friday, too. “Mera naam mat lijiye (please do not take my name). What we (Opposition) want is to contest the elections together. When we sit together, everything will be clear — which party will contest on which and how many seats, and where we should campaign jointly. We will accept the people’s mandate; after all, people are the masters.”

Pointing out he has been trying to work on the national Opposition unity for the last seven months, Nitish said, “I have been assigned to talk to a few more parties.”

Mounting fresh pressure on the Centre for conducting a nationwide caste census, Nitish said: “Some people wanted me to launch the second and final phase of the caste survey. I responded by saying that since my brother (Satish Kumar) and I were born at Bakhtiyarpur, I would give my family’s details from this house.”

He said the final report of the caste survey will take some time to be compiled after the process concludes on May 15. “The details are exhaustive and varied, and compilation will take time. The report would be tabled first in the Bihar legislature.”

The report, the JD(U) chief said, will have complete details on caste, religion, occupation, residential status, sources of income and even on migration status. “These details are very important to help formulate a comprehensive policy,” he said. “I had requested the Centre to conduct a nationwide caste census but they did not agree to it. Some states have started their own caste surveys, which is good.”

The CM emphasised that people will have to reveal their castes — and “not sub castes” — during the process.

The team of enumerators who sought family details of the CM was led by an official named Sana.