HYDERABAD: The decision of the Congress government to implement its pre-election promise of a caste census in the state has handed it the advantage over both its main political rivals in the state — the BRS and BJP — and allowed it to portray itself as a champion of BC welfare and social justice.
The survey is set to begin on November 6. To highlight the importance of the caste survey, the Congress has invited former AICC president Rahul Gandhi to meet caste-based associations, student organisations and intellectuals and take their views, suggestions and recommendations at an event to be held in Hyderabad on November 5.
The decision has naturally strengthened the Congress position with the BC community, which constitutes a substantial segment of the state’s population.
It’s not just the caste census that the Congress has focused on as part of its BC outreach — it has appointed Mahesh Kumar Goud, a BC leader, an MLC and then the TPCC chief. Likewise, Anil Kumar Yadav, from the Yadava community, was given a Rajya Sabha seat. These appointments, along with the caste census survey, are part of the party’s goal of positioning itself as an advocate for BC interests ahead of upcoming local body elections.
This focus on BC representation has put the Opposition parties in an uncomfortable position.
The BRS, led by former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, is now under pressure to appoint a BC leader to a prominent party post. The BRS has KT Rama Rao as its working president, while Madhusudhana Chari, a BC leader, was recently appointed as Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council. However, Congress has been goading the BRS to appoint more BC leaders to prominent positions.
The saffron party too faces a similar situation and is accused by its critics of being dominated by members of the Reddy community. G Kishan Reddy, a Union Minister, is the Telangana unit president of the party, while Aleti Maheswar Reddy is the BJP’s Legislative Party leader.
This has given room to the Congress pointing fingers at the BJP. Within the party too, demands to appoint a BC leader to a key position are being heard. Senior BJP leaders told TNIE that they are keen to see the party name BC leaders to key posts in the coming organisation reshuffle of the party’s state unit. The last time such a reshuffle took place, Bandi Sanjay was appointed the party’s state unit president. The party later sent its OBC Morcha national president Dr K Laxman to the Rajya Sabha.