HYDERABAD: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Saturday said the time has come for the Backward Classes (BCs) to unite and assert their collective strength.
He underscored the need for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to rise above party considerations.
The PCC president, who is also an MLC, participated, along with BJP MP Eatala Rajender and others, in a function organised to mark the release of the book “OBC Porubata”, written by IAS officer Narahari Parikipandla and advocate Pruthviraj Singh, at Suravaram Pratapa Reddy Telugu University here.
Mahesh Kumar Goud stated that the Centre’s decision to conduct a caste census stands as a major achievement for the Congress, adding that Telangana has emerged as a model for the country through its implementation of the caste-based survey. He praised Rahul Gandhi for championing the concept of the caste census to ensure social justice.
Historically, he said, OBCs were seen merely as instruments for vote-bank politics, but today, they have progressed to the stage where they are demanding their rightful share in the political space.
“We have to get our share, as it belongs to us,” Goud asserted. He pointed out that the Congress government in Telangana, under the leadership of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, conducted the caste survey transparently, adhering to the principle that every community deserves its due.
He recalled that even the BJP-led Central government, which once opposed the caste survey, has now announced its intention to conduct a caste census alongside the general census.
He also stressed that for the first time in Telangana’s history, the expansion and PCC restructuring have ensured 68% representation for BCs, SCs, STs, and minorities.
Mahesh Kuumar Goud said there is an urgent need for all OBC communities to unite and push for the introduction of the BC Bill in Parliament to ensure its inclusion in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
“All BCs are one,” he declared, adding that there should be no divisions along caste lines — whether Gouds (like himself) or Mudiraj (like Eatala Rajender).
“BCs must achieve unity first before aspiring to become chief minister of the state,” he said.