metro india news  I hyderabad

The Telangana Congress has decided to launch a full-scale political offensive to portray the BJP as the chief obstacle to increasing Backward Classes (BC) reservations to 42% in employment, education, and local bodies.

The move comes after a three-day visit to New Delhi by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his cabinet colleagues, seeking President Droupadi Murmu’s assent to two bills passed by the State Assembly to enhance BC quotas. While the ruling party staged a protest at Jantar Mantar on August 6 — joined by INDI bloc allies — their attempt the next day to secure a meeting with the President failed to elicit any response.

Following the setback, Congress leaders have squarely blamed the BJP and the Centre for “ignoring the aspirations” of BC communities of Telangana. They allege that under the pretext of protecting minority rights, the saffron party is depriving Telangana’s BC population of their due share in reservations, despite backing the quota hike in the Assembly.

Bellaiah Naik Tejavath, chairman of TRICOR, accused the BJP of “double standards” — supporting the resolution in Hyderabad but stalling the bills and accompanying ordinance in Delhi. He challenged BC leaders within the BJP — including Bandi Sanjay, Eatala Rajender, Dr. K. Laxman, and Dharmapuri Aravind — to clarify whether they would side with their party or with BC interests. “If they truly stand with BCs, they should resign from BJP and back the bill,” he said.

Naik vowed that the Congress would “take the fight to the streets” and urged BC associations to confront BJP leaders “wherever they go” for what he called their betrayal of the BC cause. Drawing parallels with the BJP’s U-turns on Farm  Laws and the nationwide Caste Census earlier, he predicted a similar reversal on BC reservations unless public pressure mounts.

With the High Court setting a September 30 deadline for local body polls, Congress sources say legal experts will be consulted on how to proceed while still implementing the promised 42% quota. The party hopes to secure the quota hike before facing the electorate, setting the stage for a heated political battle in the coming weeks.