YSRCP chief and former Chief Minister Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy welcomed the Narendra Modi-led Center’s decision to conduct a nationwide caste-based census. In a post on X, he said, “Andhra Pradesh, under my leadership, took the lead by passing a resolution in November 2021 and conducting the country’s first BC caste-wise enumeration in January 2024 through village and ward secretariats.”
He explained that a caste-based census would enable focused welfare measures and ensure economic and social development for backward and marginalized communities. He described the decision as a crucial step toward achieving real social justice and inclusive growth for all sections of society.
Meanwhile, the YSRCP has welcomed the central government’s decision to conduct a caste-based census along with the national population survey, calling it an important step towards social justice and inclusive development. Party leader Pothina Venkata Mahesh and former minister Venugopala Krishna praised Andhra Pradesh’s efforts under former Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, who led India’s first detailed caste-based survey.
They lamented the current coalition government for not releasing the report, calling it a clear sign of neglect toward Backward Classes (BCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and other underprivileged groups. They demanded that this important report must be made public immediately.
They also mentioned that the YSRCP passed resolutions in 2021 urging the central government to include caste details in the census. In January 2024, Andhra Pradesh became the first state to carry out its own caste-based survey through village and ward secretariats.
An expert panel was formed, meetings were held at the district level, and community leaders were consulted. The process also studied what went wrong with the Bihar caste survey and factored in all 2,633 castes across the country.
Venugopala Krishna credited Jaganmohan Reddy as a leader who empowered poor Dalit and middle-class communities. “Jagan changed what it means to be a common man,” he said. He pointed out that while the previous TDP government had 13 corporations for BCs, Jagan expanded that number to 56, including for groups like Kamma, Kapu, Reddy, and even Sikhs.