Hyderabad: The ruling Congress has decided to take its campaign on 42% BC reservations to the people, planning a large-scale public meeting in Kamareddy on June 15. The Congress BC reservation rally is aimed at consolidating support from backward classes ahead of the upcoming local body elections.
Party leaders said the Kamareddy meeting would be organized as a “Vijayotsava Sabha” to mark the BC Declaration. Invitations have been extended to senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary KC Venugopal, and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Congress to use BC reservation rally as election launchpad
The state leadership expects to mobilize more than one lakh people for the rally. Congress plans to sound the poll bugle for local body elections from the Kamareddy stage.
Preparations began with a coordination meeting held in Hyderabad on Friday night at the residence of government advisor Shabbir Ali. TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud, ministers Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and Seethakka attended. They discussed arrangements, mobilization, and logistics.
A follow-up preparatory meeting will be held in Kamareddy on Sunday with senior leaders from the combined Nizamabad district, as well as leaders from Karimnagar, Medak, and Siddipet. Ministers, MLAs, MLCs, DCC presidents, and local functionaries will attend. State leaders Mahesh Kumar Goud, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, and Seethakka will personally inspect the venue.
BC Declaration backdrop
Congress introduced the BC Declaration during last year’s Assembly elections. Then TPCC president Revanth Reddy contested against K. Chandrashekar Rao from Kamareddy, and a rally at the time hosted Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, who announced the BC Declaration.
Based on this, the Congress government conducted a caste census and passed an ordinance to raise BC reservations to 42%,. The Kamareddy venue has now been chosen to celebrate the passage of this policy with a high-profile Congress BC reservation rally.