Hyderabad: Clamour for one-third of seats to BCs in Telangana State Congress

Hyderabad : As BC leaders within Telangana Congress team up to strongly push with their demand for allotting one third of seats to leaders from Backward Castes, Gouds remain a dominating group. While BC leaders upped their game and some of them traveled to Delhi to lobby, Gouds who hold key positions within the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) are ensuring they get their fair share despite State leadership bringing in heavyweights from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), particularly from the Reddy community. Citing a recent resolution for proper provision of seats to BCs (about 34-40).

According to party sources, top leaders Madhu Yashki, the campaign committee chairman, Ponnam Prabhakar, former MP, B Mahesh Kumar Goud, the PCC working president are aspiring to contest in the Assembly elections and leading the campaign within the ranks owing to perceived apprehensions over their prospects. They fear losing the contest to Reddys, some of whom joined recently.

While former PCC chiefs V Hanumantha Rao and Ponnala Lakshmaiah, who represent other castes, are in Delhi to meet AICC chief Kharge and other leaders, await their appointment. Among them, Ponnala aims to contest once again from Jangaon, and VH is pursuing his aide, R Laxman Yadav, PCC general secretary from the Amberpet seat. “Being former MPs Madhu Yashki and Ponnam can influence the decision making at AICC in their favour. Madhu Yashki who heads the campaign committee has more than 50 per cent from his caste in this panel. Ponnam and Mahesh who were former National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) leaders enjoy the clout. It is most likely they will get tickets, but remain apprehensive,” said a former NSUI leader.

While Madhu Yashki who aims to contest from LB Nagar is facing trouble from local contender J Prabhakar Reddy who is already represented in Delhi questioning former’s credentials as ‘non-local’. Ponnam aiming for Husnabad is facing a challenge from former MLA A Praveen Reddy. The latter returned to Congress from BRS recently.

Husnabad is also being sought by CPI as part of the alliance. While Mahesh Kumar remains a top contender for the ticket for Nizamabad urban, he is facing challenge from family of senior D Srinivas, whose son is a former mayor D Sanjay who also applied for MLA ticket along with scores of others including former government whip E Anil Kumar.