Senior Telugu Desam senior leader and former minister Mr Yanamala Ramakrishnudu suggested the backward classes to form into a pressure group to consolidate their position politically in the state.

He said the Indian Constitution has not made any rule of reservations for the backward classes as it has done for the SC/ST population in the country. He was the chief guest at the Backward classes convention organised at Andhra Motor Merchants Associ-ation (AMMA) hall on Sunday. He has emphasised the need for amendment of the Article 340 of the Indian Constitution to make rule of reservations for backward classes also. He said the population of backward classes in the state is more than 50 per cent but they don’t have political power.

He said the political parties can’t create political movement for reservations due to some restrictions and asked the backward classes organisations to exert pressure on the governments to concede their justified demands.

He said the TD government had allocated Rs.44 crore for implementation of Adarana scheme to render support to the artisans who are mostly backward classes.

Referring to the announcement of the Congress that 4.5 per cent reservations will be allocated for minorities in the 27 OBC category, he said the backward classes would oppose the idea. “We are not against the decision of the Congress to give reservations in jobs and educational institutions to minorities, but we are asking the party to allocate from other quota and not from the 27 per cent allocated for backward classes.”

Former minister and TD leader Mr Devender Goud demanded that the government allocate more funds for the development of backward classes and recalled that the government is not sanctioning sufficient funds to the federations set up for the economic development of backward classes.

He said the TD is hosting meetings in all districts of the state to create awareness among backward classes on political and economic backwardness. He alleged that the Congress government is creating hurdles for fee reimbursement to the weaker sections.