BJP dares Cong to make BC Leader as CM

■    Congress misleading BCs: BJP accused Congress of deceiving BCs with the promise of 42% reservations while covertly diverting a portion to Muslims, violating constitutional norms.

■   Quota dilution: BJP claimed Congress reduced actual BC reservations from 34% to 32%, while inflating Muslim quota from 4% to 10% under the guise of BC welfare.

■    No real BC empowerment: BJP pointed out that Congress never made a BC the Prime Minister or Chief Minister, questioning its commitment to social justice

metro india news  I hyderabad

The political war of words between the Congress and BJP has intensified over the issue of BC (Backward Classes) reservations in Telangana, with the BJP launching a scathing attack on the ruling Congress government, accusing it of misleading the BC community.

A day after Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and TPCC President B Mahesh Kumar Goud targeted the BJP for allegedly backtracking on its earlier support for 42% reservations for BCs and accused the saffron party of playing divisive politics over minority inclusion in BC quotas, the Telangana BJP hit back strongly.

Leading the BJP counteroffensive, State President N Ramchander Rao accused the Congress of "insulting BCs" and playing a double game. At a press conference, he questioned Congress’s sincerity towards the BC community and dared Revanth Reddy to resign and make a BC leader — either Ponnam Prabhakar or Mahesh Kumar Goud — the Chief Minister to prove his commitment.

“Why is Revanth Reddy proposing BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya as Vice President? Let him instead make Ponnam or his friend Mahesh Kumar Goud the CM. Congress and BRS are only indulging in shadow boxing, fooling the BCs,” Ramchander Rao said.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy alleged that Congress is trying to mislead BCs with false promises. He said that the 42% BC quota Congress is proposing includes an increase in Muslim reservations from 4% to 10%, which would reduce opportunities for genuine BCs. He also questioned the validity of such reservations, citing past High Court rulings that declared religion-based quotas unconstitutional.

Kishan Reddy criticized the Congress for including Muslims in the BC count during caste census figures, allegedly underrepresenting actual BC numbers. “Of the proposed 42%, 10% is for Muslims, while earlier 34% BC reservations have been diluted to 32%. This is nothing but a political ploy to benefit the AIMIM,” he said.

He also accused Congress of hypocrisy, saying it never gave the CM or PM post to any BC in decades of rule, while the BJP gave constitutional status to the BC Commission and appointed a record number of BCs in the Union Cabinet. He slammed Revanth Reddy’s recent comments on PM Modi’s OBC status, stating they were baseless and disrespectful.

BJP MLA Palvai Harish also joined the offensive, calling on Revanth Reddy to resign if he truly cares for BCs and transfer the CM post to a BC leader. He pointed out that despite a significant BC population in the state, the Congress government has failed to give proportionate representation in cabinet and nominated posts. The BJP further demanded that any local body reservations must comply with the High Court’s directions and ensure that the benefits go exclusively to genuine BCs, not minority communities under a different guise.

BOX.