The polling for the state assembly on November 30 has become crucial for the three major parties BRS, BJP and Congress. They are rolling the dice to impress the voters particularly OBCs, who are in large number population. OBC voters have become crucial as there is a three-way contest between these three parties. All the parties are focused on strategies to impress them. Taking a step ahead of the other parties, the BJP has raised the slogan of “OBC Chief Minister”. BJP supporters claim that this announcement is going to be a game changer in this election.
In a surprise move, Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday (October 27) promised that “if BJP is voted to power in Telangana, a leader from backward classes will be made the chief minister”. Addressing a public meeting at Suryapet, he urged people to bring BJP to power and announced that the party will make a candidate from backward classes the chief minister. He said that neither BRS nor Congress can do any good to Telangana and that only BJP can ensure overall development of the state.
Amit Shah’s declaration comes at a time when the Congress, and some of the other Opposition parties, are framing the demand for a caste census in the context of OBC representation as a key political plank to counter the BJP.
Amit Shah said Prime Minister Modi brought several schemes for the Backward Classes (BC). Also said Centre has given constitutional status to the BC Commission. Targeting BRS as an "Anti-BC" and "Anti-Poor", Home Minister Amit Shah said "BRS government has promised to grant Rs 10,000 crore annually for BCs. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao also forgot about three acress of land for Dalits. He made tall claims on Rs 50,000 crores budget allocation to them which also remained a hollow promise."
BJP to Give More Tickets to OBCs to Counter Opponents:
Modi & Shah due are going all out to secure the support of Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the hope to trump ruling BRS and Congress in the upcoming assembly elections in Telangana state.
In its first list of 52 seats released till now, BJP had named BC leaders 19 seats. In present political situation, BJP is making sure that at least 40 percent of the next lists are from OBCs.
The demand of giving at least three assembly seats to OBCs in every parliamentary constituency is strong in the Congress party. But in the end there was a situation where it was requested to give at least two seats. In the Congress lists released in two phases so far, the Reddy caste leaders have been given more priority. OBCs are very dissatisfied with this.
Even in the ruling BRS list, BCs did not get the expected justice. There were no major changes in the BRS as tickets were mostly given back to the sitting candidates. In this context, BJP is making sure that at least 40 percent of the next lists are from OBCs.
Among the 139 sub-castes of OBCs, only Munnuru Kapu, Gowda, Yadav, Mudhiraj and Padmasali castes are considerable as politically dominant castes. No party cares about other castes.
Who Among the Top 5 OBC Leaders in BJP?:
With the announcement of the BC CM, new hopes have sprung up among the BC leaders in the BJP. At present, five key leaders in the party have become popular from the OBC category. The former state president and current MP Bandi Sanjay will be on the first place. Sanjay who belongs to Munnuru Kapu caste is contesting from Karimnagar assembly constituency in this election. Next, Rajya Sabha member K. Laxman, who is the national president of the OBC Morcha belonging to the same social group, will be in the Chief Minister race. Another MP, Dharmapuri Aravind, who is currently contesting from Korutla, is also a Munnuru Kapu leader. Sitting MLAs Etela Rajender of Mudiraj caste and Rajasingh of Lodhi caste also have a chance to compete for the post of Chief Minister. After the Amit Shah’s statement about “Chief Minister from the Backward Classes”, the discussion started in the cadre.
