Telangana BC Leaders from Cong Meet Sonia and Rahul; seek two more cabinet berths for BCs
Delegation Urges AICC Leadership to Allocate Two More Ministerial Berths to BC Community
Hyderabad: A delegation of Telangana BC leaders from Congress, including ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs, met AICC leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Thursday, seeking two additional ministerial berths for the community in Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s ministry amid reports of an imminent Cabinet expansion.
The leaders also met Union minister for social justice Virendra Kumar Khatik, urging the Central government to approve two Bills passed by the Telangana Assembly to enhance BC reservations in education, employment, and local bodies to 42 per cent.
Present at the meeting were ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Konda Surekha, MPs Anil Kumar Yadav and Balram Naik, MLAs Adi Srinivas, Beerla Ilaiah and Makkan Singh Raj Thakur, along with TPCC chief B. Mahesh Kumar Goud.
The delegation pointed out that the Cabinet currently had only two BC ministers. With six vacancies in the Cabinet, they insisted that at least two representatives from the community be included in the upcoming expansion, thereby reinforcing the party’s commitment to BC welfare and political empowerment.
Highlighting the Congress government’s commitment to social justice, they said that a caste census was recently conducted in Telangana, and two crucial Bills were passed in the Assembly to enhance reservations.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, the BC leaders claimed that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi gave them a patient hearing and responded positively to their demands.
Goud stated, “The Congress high command is carefully considering all aspects before expanding the Cabinet. Rahul Gandhi has pioneered the caste-based surveys in Telangana.”
He said that Rahul Gandhi had appreciated protests by BC organisations at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Wednesday, demanding the Centre’s nod for Telangana’s 42 per cent BC quota.
Prabhakar criticised the BJP, saying, “The BJP is conspiring to deny justice to Telangana’s Muslim community. Even in Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi’s home state, OBC reservations apply to Muslims. If the BJP-led central government is sincere, they should include the 42 per cent BC reservations in Telangana in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution.”
He also urged BJP leaders, Union minister of state Bandi Sanjay and Malkajgiri MP Etala Rajendar to act responsibly. “Are you trying to delay BC reservations under the guise of religion? Muslims were included in EWS reservations in BJP-ruled states. Telangana has gathered field-level data to justify BC reservations, approved by the Planning Department and the BC Commission,” Prabhakar stated.
