Congress provided financial strength to BCs

Vijayawada: APCC president N Raghuveera Reddy coming down heavily on the Telugu Desam and the YSR Congress over the reservations for the backward classes, recalled that it was the Congress which provided 33 per cent reservations to the backward classes for the first time in the country.

Addressing the Congress BC wing executive committee meeting along with Prof Prakash Shravan Sonavan, national coordinator of OBC Department of the Congress party, Raghuveera said that the TDP after coming to power in the State had been treating the backward classes as vote bank. State Congress BC department chairman Nalukurti Venkateswara Rao chaired the meeting.

Raghuveera said that both the Central and State governments failed miserably in implementing the election promises. “The population of the backward classes in 52 per cent,” he said and wondered whether the governments had made adequate budgetary allocations for the BCs.

Raghuveera said that it was Congress which financially strengthened the backward classes by introducing backward classes corporations, BC hostels etcl.

He regretted that the BC hostels have been on the verge of closure and many have already been closed. In another meeting held at the State Congress headquarters Andhra Ratna Bhavan here on Sunday, Raghuveera appealed to the people to put an end to the rule of the BJP and TDP in the next elections.

AICC secretary Christopher Tilak was the chief guest and APCC vice-president N Tulasi Reddy, general secretaries Janga Gautam, SN Raju and Pakkala Suri Babu participated.

Addressing the PCC senior leaders, Raghuveera said that training classes for the party workers should be organised in all Assembly constituencies from August 11 to 20. Booth-level workers would be given training from September 16 to 25.

He appealed to the Congress leaders to make ‘Congress to every house’ programme a grand success. He suggested that the Congress leaders should welcome anyone who is willing to join the party.