50% quota cap will go if voted to power: Rahul Gandhi

Shubhadeep Choudhury

New Delhi, February 5

In a major announcement ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the cap on 50 per cent reservation would be removed if the INDIA bloc formed the government in the country.

The Congress leader also promised a nationwide caste census in case the INDIA parties secured majority in the polls. Addressing a rally at Ranchi as part of his “Manipur to Mumbai Bharat Jodo

Nyay Yatra” programme, Rahul said the BJP tried to topple the JMM-Congress-RJD government in Jharkhand because it could not reconcile to the idea of having a tribal leader as Chief Minister.

The Congress leader said he would like to congratulate all MLAs of the ruling alliance in Jharkhand for successfully thwarting BJP’s conspiracy and protecting “the government of the poor”.

Acknowledging that more than 50 per cent reservation could not be given under the existing provisions, Gandhi said the next government would “throw out” the 50 per cent cap on reservation.