Lucknow, Jul 31 (IANS): The normally reticent Kayastha community is now demanding its share in politics.

The All India Kayastha Mahasabha has urged members of the community to contest the upcoming urban local bodies' election.

The 83th annual national working committee meeting of the Mahasabha on Saturday was attended by minister of state in Uttar Pradesh government, Arun Kumar, former minister and MLA from Prayagraj Sidharth Nath Singh and national president Chaudhari Jitendra Nath Singh.

State president Hriday Narain Srivastava said, "Efforts are underway to encourage the members of the community to contest the upcoming urban local bodies election."

He added that the representation of the community in politics was falling over the past few decades.

National president Chaudhary Jitendra Nath Singh said that the Union cabinet had just one Kayastha minister, who was also removed while only one minister of state from the community was appointed in the state even when five Kayastha MLAs were elected.

The lone representative of the community in the Yogi cabinet, Arun Kumar, said there was a need to remind Kayasthas about the power of their vote as in a democracy as only the power of vote matters.

Former minister Sidharth Nath Singh said: "There was a time when 54 members from the community were elected as MLAs but now the number has reduced to just five.