PULIVENDULA (KADAPA DISTRICT): Playing the BC card, YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday morning released the party’s list of candidates for the 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies. Of the 175 candidates for the Assembly polls, 41 are BCs. The party also fielded seven BCs for the Lok Sabha elections.
After offering prayers at former CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s memorial at Idupulapaya, Jagan made his party leaders Dharmana Prasada Rao, a BC leader, and Nandigama Suresh, a SC leader, read out the list of names of Assembly and Lok Sabha contestants respectively.
The YSRC has been making all-out efforts to win over the BC voters, who constitute a major chunk of the State’s population. The party had even come out with a ‘BC Declaration’ with policies and schemes which are going to be implemented for the uplift of the BCs if the party comes to power. Earlier, the TDP government had announced various sops for the BCs. With the move, the Opposition party wants to make a dent in the ruling party’s BC vote bank.
Speaking on the occasion, Jagan said that they have given equal importance to all sections in selecting the candidates for both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
“We have given party tickets to 41 BCs. On the other hand, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu deceived the BCs by including the Balija community under the BC quota. If we do the same, our tally of BC candidates will increase to 45,’’ Jagan said.
Jagan added that the party had given an additional seat to Muslims when compared to the 2014 elections.
“We have given five seats to Muslims,’’ he said and added that some of the sitting MLAs and MPs were left out after considering various surveys and public opinion.