HYDERABAD: Knowing pretty well that an opportunity utilised wisely during the elections will change political dynamics, the ruling BRS has embraced senior BC leader and former PCC chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah. The decision is expected to favour the BRS in the polls, at a time BCs are demanding more number of Assembly seats.
Not only BCs, but even senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Renuka Chowdary wants 15 seats for Kammas. Though the Telangana voter has never been swayed over by caste or money, the demand for more number of seats for certain castes, especially BCs, has been increasingly strident. Telangana has been witnessing several major changes in terms of representation of various castes since 1952. Political parties too are aware of these changes.
For example, when Eatala Rajender, a Mudiraj, left the BRS, the pink party reacted quickly and made Banda Prakash, another Mudiraj, deputy chairman of the Legislative Council. Rajender was the only Mudiraj in the outgoing Assembly. “As we have decided to give tickets to all sitting MLAs, we cannot give tickets to another Mudiraj this time. We will accommodate Mudiraj leaders in some other posts,” a top BRS leader said.
In Telangana, the BCs, weaker sections and Minorities comprise 90% of the population. However, upper castes have dominated State politics. Almost 50% of the MLAs elected in 2018 belonged to upper castes.
Since 1952, upper castes have maintained their domination of politics in Telangana. Initially, it was Brahmins who dominated politics, and later, Reddys and Kammas. The number of BC MLAs was low in the 1950s but has increased considerably over time. However, the number of Muslim MLAs remains at eight to nine and Velamas at eight to 12.
The representation of BCs and other weaker sections in the Assembly increased after NT Rama Rao founded the TDP in 1982. After the formation of the State, Velamas dominated politics but this hegemony was not due to their caste.
“K Chandrasekhar Rao, T Harish Rao, KT Rama Rao and other Velamas who championed the cause of separate Telangana won the hearts of the people,” analysts felt. Though KCR and Harish Rao won with huge majorities from Siddipet, the presence of Velamas in the segments is negligible. People supported Velama leaders because of their relentless efforts to achieve separate state. “The people did not see them as merely as Velama leaders,” analysts said.
It may be mentioned here that as many as 26 Brahmins were elected as MLAs in 1952, as they participated in the freedom struggle.
The influence of Brahmins reduced from 1957. Only 18 Brahmins were elected in 1957 and this number dipped to 12 in 1962 and to nine in 1972. Later on, the number of Brahmin MLAs never crossed three in the Assembly. There were only two Brahmin MLAs in 2014 and 2018.
Reddys, the strong political caste in Telangana, has due representation in the Assembly. There were 31 Reddys in the Assembly in 1957, 42 in 2014 and 40 in 2018.
Though Kammas are numerically not strong in Telangana, they continue to wield considerable influence on State politics. Leaders like Renuka Chowdary, Thummala Nageswara Rao and others were in the limelight even in separate Telangana. The number of Kammas was five each in 2014 and 2018 Assemblies.
The representation of BCs in the Assembly has increased considerably since 1952. In 1952, the number of BC MLAs was just five. However, this increased to 20, as the then AICC president Indira Gandhi accorded due importance to social justice. The number of BC MLAs was 24 in 2009, 22 in 2014 and 24 in the 2018 Assemblies. Of them, the majority belong to Munnuru Kapu, Mudiraj, Padmashali and Gowda communitiess. Several other castes among BCs never had representation in the Assembly.
National Backward Classes Welfare Association president and Rajya Sabha member R Krishnaiah pointed out that of the 130 castes among BCs, 110 never entered the Assembly.
He said that adopting a Bill in Parliament for providing reservations to BCs in Legislative bodies was the only solution to undo the injustice done to BCs. Krishnaiah recalled that no political party was giving even 20% of seats to BCs in the elections.