HYDERABAD: TPCC president and MLC B Mahesh Kumar Goud said the defeat of the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha marked a victory for democracy and a setback to what he termed the BJP’s authoritarian approach.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Saturday, he alleged that the BJP had attempted to “illegally and unscientifically” link the women’s reservation issue with the delimitation exercise, which, he claimed, would disadvantage southern states.
He said the Congress, along with other opposition parties under the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge, had successfully thwarted what he described as a political strategy to increase seats for northern states at the cost of the South.
Mahesh questioned the BJP’s commitment to women’s empowerment, asking why the urgency shown in the abrogation of Article 370 was not reflected in implementing the women’s reservation law.
He asserted that while the Congress had consistently backed women’s representation, the BJP had failed to deliver, pointing out that the party had not appointed a woman as its national president since its formation in 1980.
Clarifying the Congress’ stand, he said the party did not oppose the women’s reservation law but only the “illegal delimitation proposal.” He reiterated that the Congress fully supported the 2023 law providing 33% reservation for women and demanded its implementation from the 2024 elections, accusing the BJP of delaying it until 2029–34.
He also criticised Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, alleging that he had failed to contribute to Telangana’s development, and demanded a white paper on his work.
The TPCC chief further condemned remarks by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya comparing Telangana’s formation to the India–Pakistan Partition, calling the silence of BJP leaders on the issue “unacceptable.” He emphasised the significant contribution of southern states to nation-building and accused the BJP of discriminating against Telangana across sectors.
He also highlighted the Congress’ legacy in promoting women’s representation, recalling that the government led by PV Narasimha Rao carried forward the vision of Rajiv Gandhi by enabling reservations for women in local bodies through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments.