Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Monday, 3 August 2026, launched a forceful campaign for Other Backward Classes (OBC) rights at Bhandara, flagging off the Mandal Yatra 2026 and demanding that the upcoming national census include a distinct, independent column for caste-based enumeration of OBCs. Wadettiwar trained his fire on both the Centre and the Maharashtra state government, accusing them of systematically sidelining a community that accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the state's population.

What the Mandal Yatra Demands

The Mandal Yatra, organised by the Sakal OBC Mahamorcha, has been held continuously for the past five years to press for implementation of the Mandal Commission's recommendations and to build awareness of OBC entitlements. This year's yatra will pass through 11 districts of Vidarbha before concluding in Chandrapur on 9 August. Wadettiwar described the large turnout in Bhandara as evidence of the community's collective resolve.

The central demand is a standalone OBC column in the national census. Wadettiwar noted that after Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi raised the issue in Parliament, the Central Government announced a census — but the current enumeration process does not include a separate OBC column. The government subsequently claimed the column would be incorporated in a second phase, a commitment Wadettiwar publicly questioned.

Why the OBC Column Matters

'If OBCs are not recorded in the initial phase, how can citizens trust that the second phase will deliver?' Wadettiwar asked the gathering, framing the absence of an OBC column not as an administrative oversight but as a political choice. He asserted that a caste-based census is not merely a statistical exercise — it is the foundation for proportionate access to education, employment, financial resources, and political representation.

This comes amid a broader national debate on caste enumeration, with the Congress positioning itself as the primary advocate for OBC and marginalised communities ahead of state and national electoral cycles. Notably, the Mandal Yatra's timing — running through Vidarbha, a region with significant OBC voter concentration — carries clear political weight.

Funding Gaps and Institutional Neglect

Wadettiwar highlighted stark funding disparities within Maharashtra. While development corporations for other communities receive substantial allocations, the OBC Corporation was allocated only ₹500 crore, he said. He demanded this be doubled and called for a minimum allocation of ₹1,000 crore for the Mahajyoti institute, which supports OBC students but reportedly remains underfunded.

He further demanded the establishment of OBC student hostels in every district and taluka across Maharashtra, pointing out that despite forming nearly half the state's population, OBC students lack adequate hostel infrastructure and district-level facilities. Wadettiwar recalled that during his own tenure as OBC Welfare Minister, he had approved 72 hostels, and argued that a comprehensive network could have been built had the government continued on that trajectory.

Political Representation Under Threat

Wadettiwar also alleged that local body elections in Maharashtra remain stalled due to unresolved OBC reservation disputes, leaving thousands of elected posts vacant. He characterised this as a deliberate effort to erode the political representation of the OBC community. Addressing the rally not as a Congress leader or MLA but, in his words, 'as an OBC worker,' he declared the community would not relent until a distinct caste census column is secured.

With the Mandal Yatra set to conclude on 9 August in Chandrapur, the coming days will test whether this mobilisation translates into sustained pressure on the Maharashtra government and the Centre to act on the OBC census demand.