Congress planning to rake up BC quota issue in Telangana local body polls

Hyderabad, Aug 10 (IANS) The Congress party in Telangana is strategising to flag the issue of 42 per cent reservation for backward classes in the local body elections, likely to be held next month.

With the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre virtually ruling out assent to Telangana Bills to enhance reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) to 42 per cent, the Congress party is left with no option but to give 42 per cent tickets to BCs in the gram panchayat elections.

The recent three-day protest in Delhi led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy was part of the Congress party's strategy to exert pressure on the Centre.

Through the "dharna" at Jantar Mantar in which the entire Cabinet, MPs and state legislators participated, Congress tried to demonstrate its commitment to fulfil its poll promise of 42 per cent reservation to BCs in education, employment and local bodies.

Revanth Reddy also used the platform to blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for not getting an audience with President Droupadi Murmu.

The Congress delegation had sought an appointment with the President to request her to give assent to the two Bills passed by the state legislature in March.

Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (reservation of seats in educational institutions and of appointments or posts in services under the State) Bill 2025 and The Telangana Backward Classes (Reservation of seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill 2025 were adopted by the Assembly.

The Bills enhanced reservations for BCs from the existing 25 per cent in education and employment and 23 per cent in local bodies. This was the major promise made by Congress in the 'BC declaration' announced in the Assembly elections held in 2023.

As the enhanced BC quota will take the overall reservation beyond the 50 per cent ceiling fixed by the Supreme Court, the state Governor had forwarded the Bills to the President for her approval.

With no response to the state's request for Presidential assent to the Bills, the State Cabinet last month decided to issue an ordinance to amend Telangana Panchayat Raj Act 2018 to provide 42 percent reservation to BCs in the local bodies.

The draft ordinance sent by the state government to the Governor is also awaiting the Centre’s nod.

The amendment aims to allow reservations to exceed the 50 per cent cap currently in place. This move is supported by a recent caste census and a report from the dedicated BC Commission

The caste census revealed that BCs constitute 56.33 per cent (including 10 per cent BC Muslims). Backward groups among Muslims currently enjoy 4 per cent reservations in education and employment. They are categorised as BC (E).

The Congress party is trying to capitalise on the issue by blaming the BJP for "obstructing" the Bills and ordinance. The ruling party is also targeting Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for mocking their protest in Delhi instead of questioning the BJP.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and other Congress leaders are also reminding people that it was the previous BRS government which slashed the BC reservation in local bodies to bring down the overall quota under the 50 per cent limit.

The state BJP leaders have questioned the sincerity of the Congress party for the BC reservation. They are targeting the ruling party for what they call providing reservation to Muslims at the cost of BCs.

Central ministers G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay have demanded that Muslims be removed from the list of BCs.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay, alleged that the Congress government was conspiring to enhance BC reservation by only 5 per cent and provide 10 per cent of BC reservation to Muslims.

"The Centre will approve the Bills if the entire 42 per cent reservation is provided to BCs," said Bandi Sanjay.

The Congress leaders have hit back at the BJP for what they called attempts to stall BC reservation in the name of Muslims.

"The BJP leaders are misleading people by twisting facts. Backward sections among Muslims already have 4 per cent reservation. Their quota will increase by just 1.8 per cent. Hindu BCs, who currently enjoy 25 per cent reservation, will get another 11.2 per cent reservation, taking their total quota to 36.2 per cent," said senior Congress leader and former minister T. Jeevan Reddy.

Jeevan Reddy claimed that backward Muslims are availing the benefits of reservation even in states ruled by the BJP and its allies. The Congress leaders have dared the BJP to first scrap that reservation.

In June, the Telangana High Court directed the state government to conduct local body elections within three months. The government was directed to finalise the reservation for various categories by the end of July.

Former sarpanches had filed petitions, seeking direction from the government not to further delay the conduct of elections. They pointed out that the terms of the panchayats expired on January 31, 2024, and the elections were already delayed by 18 months.

The petitioners contended that local body elections must be held within six months of the expiry of the elected body’s term, as mandated by the Constitution.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy himself admitted that the state government can't further delay the elections as the Centre will not release the funds to local bodies, and this would derail rural governance.

While going ahead with the elections, the Congress party is looking to corner both BJP and BRS over the BC reservation issue.

--IANS

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