CWC to meet at 4 PM tomorrow to deliberate road ahead after Centre's nod to caste census

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi having virtually taken the wind out the Congress' sail with the government announcing that it had decided to include caste data in the upcoming Census exercise, the party is now faced with a significant challenge to "own the narrative" on caste census.

The issue has been the centerpiece of the Congress' campaign for social justice as it sought to woo back Other Backward Classes (OBCs) who had drifted away from the party in the post-Mandal era and later aligned with the BJP under Modi's leadership.

In a bid to calibrate its response and discuss the way ahead for the party in wake of the Modi government's surprise decision, the Congress is planning a meeting of its Working Committee on Friday to discuss the government’s announcement and devise a strategy on how it can still own the narrative around social justice in wake of the development.

"We want to discuss the road ahead for the party after the government’s announcement. Caste census has been a long-standing demand of the Congress, which is why the government has made this announcement. But we want answers from the government regarding the timeline, budget, and the 50% cap on reservation," The Indian Express quoted a highly placed source in the Congress as saying.