With the Opposition INDIA bloc, especially the Congress, upping its pressure on the Narendra Modi government to hold a countrywide caste census, the BJP central leadership on Thursday discussed the “advantages and disadvantages” of the party’s current position of not going for a caste count, sources said.

Keen on retaining its Other Backward Classes (OBC) support base in the coming Lok Sabha elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda held a high-level meeting of the party’s senior leaders from various states in New Delhi and discussed the party’s strategy on the issue.

BJP chief ministers, deputy chief ministers, state unit presidents and the legislature party leaders from various states attended the meeting held at the party headquarters. BJP general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were among those present at the meeting, where it was decided that a committee would be formed to frame OBC outreach programmes, sources said.

The BJP seems to be in a dilemma over the INDIA bloc’s caste census push. The party is reluctant to hold one as it feels that such an exercise can jeopardise its strategy to consolidate among OBC communities. The party, instead, is banking on projecting the schemes and initiatives of the Narendra Modi government for the backward communities.