Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has promised to conduct a caste-based census if his party comes to power. Speaking at a public meeting in the Kalapipal assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi emphasized the need to determine the exact number of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the country. He accused the current government of being controlled by a small group of officers and bureaucrats, alleging that elected representatives, including BJP MPs and MLAs, have no role in policy-making and law formation. Gandhi referred to Madhya Pradesh as the ‘epicentre’ of corruption, citing the Vyapam scam and cases of exam paper leaks. He also highlighted the issue of farmer suicides, claiming that 18,000 farmers have taken their own lives in the state over the past 18 years. Gandhi’s proposed caste-based census aims to address the lack of accurate data on OBCs and potentially inform policies and initiatives targeted towards their welfare.