The Congress, which has promised that if voted to power in Telangana a caste census will be conducted, has named only 20 candidates from Backward Classes in the list of 100 candidates announced so far.
With candidates to be announced for 15 more seats — four left for CPI and CPI(M) — the number of BC nominees is not likely to go up further.
In the two lists announced so far, the Congress has given a lion’s share of 38 seats to Reddys, the socially and politically powerful caste. There are 15 candidates from Scheduled Castes, eight from Scheduled Tribes, four Muslims, nine from Velama community, three Kammas and three Brahmins.
This was despite BC leaders within the party demanding the leadership to allot 50 per cent of the tickets to those from the community and the statements of the state party chief A. Revanth Reddy that they will be given at least 38 seats.
BC leaders within Congress feel that ignoring the demand for a fair representation to such communities may hurt the party, especially when the BJP is playing the BC card.
They also say that under representation to BCs in allotment of tickets is not in line with the stand taken by the party on BCs at the national level.
It is ironic that during the election campaign, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi himself promised that once voted to power in Telangana, the party will undertake a caste census in the state.
He said the caste census will be like an X-ray which will determine if the population of backward classes is only five per cent in the country. “OBCs have control of only five per cent of India’s budget. I want to ask if the OBC population in the country is only five per cent,” he asked at an election rally.
Both the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are questioning the sincerity of Congress towards BCs.
BJP is playing the BC card as it has promised that if voted to power, it will make a BC leader the chief minister of Telangana. The party is also working on the plans to give 50 per cent of the tickets in the general category to BCs.
The resignation of former minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah, a BC leader, has also come as a blow to the Congress. Ponnala quit the Congress, alleging injustice to BCs within the party.
He said he was snapping his 40 year long association with the party as he was unable to bear the insult and ridicule he and other BC leaders were being subjected to in the party.
Ponnala also claimed that when a group of 50 BC leaders from Telangana visited Delhi to request priority for BCs in allotment of tickets, they were denied a meeting with AICC leaders. He said even he was denied appointment for 10 days to meet AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal.
Hailing from Munnur Kapu BC community, Ponnala hails from Jangaon district. He had worked as minister under five chief ministers in united Andhra Pradesh. He held the irrigation portfolio in the cabinet headed by Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. He remained a minister under YSR’s successor Rosaiah and held the information technology portfolio in the government of Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Ponnala, a former TPCC president, quit the party after it became clear that he will not get the party ticket from Jangaon constituency.
He joined the BRS, giving the ruling party more ammunition to attack Congress. “This shows how the Congress party treats BC leaders,” said BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao.
The BC leaders within the Congress were hoping that the party will give more tickets to BCs than what the BRS has given.
The BRS has fielded 22 BCs and the Congress leaders were confident that the number of tickets to BCs in grand-old party will cross that number. However, it has almost become clear that the Congress will complete its list with less than or around the same figure.
The BC leaders within the party had formed a pressure group to press for fair share of seats for BC communities. They wanted the leadership to field more BCs to tap the vote bank. They were hoping that Congress can score over BRS by giving higher representation.
The BC leaders have been arguing that since the Congress is known for delivering social justice, it should field more BCs than BRS.
Former MPs V. Hanumantha Rao, Ponnam Prabhakar, Madhu Goud Yaskhi, Mahesh Kumar Goud and Kathi Venkataswamy were the BC leaders who were urging the high command to give higher representation to BCs.
The leaders had explained to the high command that the party started losing BC votes since 1983 when Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was floated by actor-turned-politician N. T. Rama Rao.
Political analysts say it was because of TDP that the BCs became politically empowered in Telangana. The TDP attracted BCs with political respect and positions.
The BC leaders recall that the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) had passed a resolution that about 40 per cent of the seats should be reserved for BC communities.
TPCC president Revanth Reddy himself had stated publicly that a minimum of 34 seats would be set aside for the BCs
A delegation of BC leaders had also met Revanth Reddy and submitted a memorandum, urging him to use his good offices to ensure that BCs get a fair share.
In 2018, Congress had given tickets to 24 BC candidates despite demands for a representation in proportion to the population of BCs.
With their demand for higher representation ignored once again, the BC leaders now hope that the party will at least make promises to win the support of BC communities
The party has already announced declarations for SCs, STs, youth and farmers. It had not unveiled a declaration for BCs. The party is expected to come out with some promises for BC communities in its manifesto.