Hyderabad: BJP MP Raghunandan Rao on Thursday accused the Telangana government of lacking sincerity in granting 42% reservations to Backward Classes (BCs). He said the government rushed to the Supreme Court and failed to achieve anything.
Raghunandan Rao said the state had no choice but to hold local body elections under the old reservation system after the court’s direction. He blamed the government’s poor handling of the issue for this outcome.
Raghunandan Rao hits out at Telangana government over BC reservations
Speaking to a news channel after the Supreme Court dismissed Telangana’s special leave petition (SLP) on BC reservations, Rao said the state should have discussed the matter with all parties and the Centre before approaching the court. He alleged that the government made repeated mistakes, which led to injustice for BCs.
He urged the state to consult legal experts and plan its next steps carefully. Rao demanded that the Chief Minister convene an all-party meeting to collect opinions and conduct local body elections. He warned that delaying polls until 42% reservations were implemented would only harm BCs further.
The MP challenged the ruling Congress to prove its sincerity by giving 42% party tickets to BC candidates in the next elections. “If you are truly committed, offer 56% and prove it,” he said. Rao added that this move would test other parties and reveal their real stance to the people.
He accused Congress of delaying local elections on purpose while pretending to defend BC rights. He said BC leaders had no real hope under the current government. Rao demanded that 10% of cabinet posts go to BCs to reflect their population share.
He said the Congress should first appoint BC ministers before talking about social justice. Rao also asked whether the party had consulted others before announcing the Kamareddy Declaration. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government would ensure fair BC representation based on population.
On the issue of Congress leader Konda Surekha, Rao said the entire country could see how the ruling party treated BCs.