Rich backward classes want power, plan to splurge money

HYDERABAD: Political parties that dream of riding on backward community votes may have to alter their arithmetic as new age BC leaders are pressing for their share and that includes sitting on the Chief Minister’s gaddi. In a meeting held at BC Bhavan on Saturday, prominent politicians like Mr Devender Goud, Mr Bandaru Dattathreya, Mr Madhu Yaski Goud and Justice Eswar Goud deliberated on the strategy to be adopted to secure maximum seats from political parties for their respective communities.

Mr Cheruku Sudhakar, a BC leader who floated Telangana Inti Party recently said that to secure social justice and self respect for the community, the Congress is not the only solution. He said BC leaders had given a serious thought about whether to sail with Mahakutami or not. Mr P.V.N. Murthy, a retired IAS officer and prominent BC intellectual is said to have unveiled a blueprint for BC leaders to chalk out an action plan. A senior BC leader said, “With Devender Goud around, there is no dearth of funds. He would certainly pump the required money for BC leaders to fight elections.”

With 50 per cent voters’ strength, the Backward Classes are a conglomeration of around 110 castes in Telangana. “Demand for proportional representation is just and right,” said Cheruku Sudhakar. BC students at Osmania University were not happy with the way governments in Telugu States were squandering away the funds meant for their welfare. A BC leader said that release of funds to Brahmin community and Kapu community from BC budget was doing gross injustice to the other communities. The BC leaders in the government were unable to fight for the cause of the community, he said. 

The BC sub-plan, political reservations, reservations in promotions to BC employees, reservations to BCs in private sector, complete fee reimbursement, scholarships for students, establishing BC study circles in all constituencies and skill development centres for the betterment of BCs are some of the issues to be looked at in the proposed blueprint.

BC leader and former LB Nagar MLA R. Krishnayya said that they are holding a meeting on October 28 inviting all the BC communities from Telangana State to chalk out a political course of action that would get them benefits in proportion to the size of their population. He said that the Golla Kurmual with 30 lakh population is the largest BC community followed by Mudiraj (28 lakh) Munnur Kapur (26 lakh), Gouds (25 lakh), Vishwabrahmins (13 lakh) and Padmashalis (10 lakh). “A fair representation of these communities has been our demand,” he said. In 2014 elections, the TD had allocated 33 percent of the total seats, which was the highest allocation by any political party.