Hyderabad, March 17 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking time to meet him along with leaders all political parties on enhancing reservations to Backward Classes (BCs) to 42 per cent in education, employment and elections to rural and urban local bodies.
The Chief Minister sought an appointment to meet the Prime Minister along with leaders of Congress, BJP, AIMIM, and CPI.
This comes hours after the Telangana Assembly unanimously passed two Bills to enhance reservations for BCs.
Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (reservation of seats in educational institutions and of appointments or posts in services under the State) Bill 2025 and The Telangana Backward Classes (Reservation of seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill 2025 were adopted by the Assembly.
As enhancing BC reservations to 42 per cent will breach the 50 per cent Supreme Court ceiling for the overall quota for all sections, the Bills passed by the state Assembly require the Centre’s approval.
The Chief Minister earlier told the Assembly that he would lead an all-party delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Centre’s approval.
He requested Union Ministers G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay and BJP floor leader A. Maheshwar Reddy to take the responsibility of seeking an appointment with the Prime Minister.
“Let us also request Rahul Gandhi to raise this issue in Parliament. I am entrusting the responsibility to TPCC President Mahesh Kumar Goud to seek time to meet Rahul Gandhi soon,” he said.
He said it was the responsibility of everyone to adopt the BC Bill in the Parliament. “We will not rest till 42 per cent reservation is achieved for BCs,” he said while reiterating that Congress government is committed to the Kamareddy Declaration.
While announcing its support to the Bills, main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) once again raised doubts over the data of the recently conducted caste survey in the state.
The Chief Minister assured the House that caste survey was 100 per cent correct. He recalled that Rahul Gandhi had promised that if voted to power, the Congress would enhance Backward Class reservation to 42 per cent. He said soon after coming to power, the Congress initiated the steps for caste survey.
The Chief Minister later took to ‘X’ to declare that Telangana is proud to lead the social revolution in India.
“It is my honour to announce the longest pending demand of the subaltern groups since Indian Independence, the yearning of our brothers & sisters belonging to the Backward Castes, on being counted & recognised in an official census – has finally found deliverance,” he said.
“Today, as the Leader of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, as Chief Minister, I solemnly declare that based on the most scientific, methodically rigorous, and excruciating efforts of our people, we can say that the OBCs population in Telangana is 56.36 per cent,” reads the post.
“We are now resolving to ensure 42 per cent reservations for this Group in all walks of life – education, jobs and employment & political representation. Be on the right side of history & let each one of us become a champion of this historic move,” he added.
–IANS
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