The Congress, which has promised that if voted to energy in Telangana a caste census will probably be carried out, has named solely 20 candidates from Backward Classes within the checklist of 100 candidates introduced up to now.
With candidates to be introduced for 15 extra seats — 4 left for CPI and CPI(M) — the variety of BC nominees isn’t more likely to go up additional.
In the 2 lists introduced up to now, the Congress has given a lion’s share of 38 seats to Reddys, the socially and politically highly effective caste. There are 15 candidates from Scheduled Castes, eight from Scheduled Tribes, 4 Muslims, 9 from Velama neighborhood, three Kammas and three Brahmins.
This was regardless of BC leaders inside the social gathering demanding the management to allot 50 per cent of the tickets to these from the neighborhood and the statements of the state social gathering chief A. Revanth Reddy that they are going to be given no less than 38 seats.
BC leaders inside Congress really feel that ignoring the demand for a good illustration to such communities could damage the social gathering, particularly when the BJP is taking part in the BC card.
They additionally say that underneath illustration to BCs in allotment of tickets isn’t consistent with the stand taken by the social gathering on BCs on the nationwide degree.
It is ironic that throughout the election marketing campaign, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi himself promised that when voted to energy in Telangana, the social gathering will undertake a caste census within the state.
He stated the caste census will probably be like an X-ray which is able to decide if the inhabitants of backward courses is barely 5 per cent within the nation. “OBCs have control of only five per cent of India’s budget. I want to ask if the OBC population in the country is only five per cent, ” he requested at an election rally.
Both the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are questioning the sincerity of Congress in the direction of BCs.
BJP is taking part in the BC card because it has promised that if voted to energy, it would make a BC chief the chief minister of Telangana. The social gathering can be engaged on the plans to present 50 per cent of the tickets within the common class to BCs.
The resignation of former minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah, a BC chief, has additionally come as a blow to the Congress. Ponnala stop the Congress, alleging injustice to BCs inside the social gathering.
He stated he was snapping his 40 yr lengthy affiliation with the social gathering as he was unable to bear the insult and mock he and different BC leaders have been being subjected to within the social gathering.
Ponnala additionally claimed that when a bunch of fifty BC leaders from Telangana visited Delhi to request precedence for BCs in allotment of tickets, they have been denied a gathering with AICC leaders. He stated even he was denied appointment for 10 days to fulfill AICC General Secretary Ok C Venugopal.
Hailing from Munnur Kapu BC neighborhood, Ponnala hails from Jangaon district. He had labored as minister underneath 5 chief ministers in united Andhra Pradesh. He held the irrigation portfolio within the cupboard headed by Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. He remained a minister underneath YSR’s successor Rosaiah and held the data expertise portfolio within the authorities of Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Ponnala, a former TPCC president, stop the social gathering after it turned clear that he won’t get the social gathering ticket from Jangaon constituency.
He joined the BRS, giving the ruling social gathering extra ammunition to assault Congress. “This shows how the Congress party treats BC leaders, ” stated BRS working president Ok. T. Rama Rao.
The BC leaders inside the Congress have been hoping that the social gathering will give extra tickets to BCs than what the BRS has given.
The BRS has fielded 22 BCs and the Congress leaders have been assured that the variety of tickets to BCs in grand-old social gathering will cross that quantity. However, it has nearly turn into clear that the Congress will full its checklist with lower than or across the similar determine.
The BC leaders inside the social gathering had fashioned a strain group to press for justifiable share of seats for BC communities. They needed the management to discipline extra BCs to faucet the vote financial institution. They have been hoping that Congress can rating over BRS by giving increased illustration.
The BC leaders have been arguing that because the Congress is understood for delivering social justice, it ought to discipline extra BCs than BRS.
Former MPs V. Hanumantha Rao, Ponnam Prabhakar, Madhu Goud Yaskhi, Mahesh Kumar Goud and Kathi Venkataswamy have been the BC leaders who have been urging the excessive command to present increased illustration to BCs.
The leaders had defined to the excessive command that the social gathering began dropping BC votes since 1983 when Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was floated by actor-turned-politician N. T. Rama Rao.
Political analysts say it was due to TDP that the BCs turned politically empowered in Telangana. The TDP attracted BCs with political respect and positions.
The BC leaders recall that the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) had handed a decision that about 40 per cent of the seats must be reserved for BC communities.
TPCC president Revanth Reddy himself had acknowledged publicly {that a} minimal of 34 seats can be put aside for the BCs
A delegation of BC leaders had additionally met Revanth Reddy and submitted a memorandum, urging him to make use of his good workplaces to make sure that BCs get a justifiable share.
In 2018, Congress had given tickets to 24 BC candidates regardless of calls for for a illustration in proportion to the inhabitants of BCs.
With their demand for increased illustration ignored as soon as once more, the BC leaders now hope that the social gathering will no less than make guarantees to win the help of BC communities
The social gathering has already introduced declarations for SCs, STs, youth and farmers. It had not unveiled a declaration for BCs. The social gathering is anticipated to come back out with some guarantees for BC communities in its manifesto.