Bhubaneswar, March 5 -- Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Sasmit Patra on Wednesday reiterated the party's demand for a caste census, emphasizing that both the general census and caste-based enumeration should be conducted at the earliest.

"BJD and our leader Naveen Patnaik have always been advocating for a caste census as well, apart from the census. The census should have taken place by 2021. Post-COVID, it was decided that it would be done later. But we are hoping by this year, the starting, it should have started. But the census itself has not started. Based on the census, delimitation is supposed to happen. So, the terms of reference of delimitation need to be identified - whether it will be based on population on other demographic factors. ...