Will Telangana CM's Dharna in Delhi Secure 42% Backward Class Reservation?

New Delhi, Aug 6 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Telangana, A. Revanth Reddy, along with his entire Cabinet, Congress MPs, and state legislators, conducted a day-long dharna at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, advocating for Presidential approval of two Bills that would increase reservation for backward classes to 42 per cent in education, employment, and local governance.

While top leaders from Congress were absent from the protest, allies from the INDIA coalition expressed their support.

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha's Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, did not attend the dharna, yet voiced their demand for Presidential assent via social media.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi also refrained from attending but endorsed the call for Presidential approval.

CM Revanth Reddy spearheaded the dharna, which saw participation from Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, state ministers, Congress president Mahesh Kumar Goud, and various MLAs, MLCs, and leaders from the Backward Class community.

AICC in-charge for Telangana, Meenkashi Natrajan, along with Digvijay Singh and Deepa Dasmunshi, were among the central leaders addressing the gathering.

Supporters from parties like DMK, Samajwadi Party, NCP, CPI, and CPI-M also joined the dharna to show solidarity with the Telangana government.

The Telangana Assembly had passed two Bills in March aimed at increasing reservation for backward classes in education, employment, and local governance to 42 per cent. However, the Governor referred these Bills to the President, as the total reservation would exceed the 50 per cent cap.

The Chief Minister and his Cabinet members stressed the importance of approving these Bills to ensure justice for Backward Classes, asserting that the legislation was based on data from a caste survey conducted within the state.

Revanth Reddy accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders of injustice towards Backward Classes by hindering the Bills' progress.

He emphasized that the Congress party's mobilization effort, dubbed ‘Chalo Delhi’, aims to rally support from various parties, firmly stating their goal of achieving 42 per cent reservation.

The Chief Minister warned that if PM Modi ignores their demands, they would escalate the issue nationally, vowing to defeat him in the elections and support Rahul Gandhi for Prime Minister.

“In the upcoming 2029 elections, we won’t allow BJP to secure more than 150 seats. We are committed to defeating Narendra Modi and elevating Rahul Gandhi to the Prime Minister’s office. I make this pledge with Jantar Mantar as my witness,” he asserted.

He criticized BRS leader K.T. Rama Rao for dismissing the Congress dharna as mere theatrics, claiming that the real drama unfolds within KCR's household. The Chief Minister pointed out the conflicting stances of KCR's family members regarding Backward Class reservations.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka expressed confidence that Congress would successfully secure 42 per cent reservations for Backward Classes, affirming the party's commitment to implement these reservations in local elections.

TPCC president Mahesh Kumar stated that the decision made by Revanth Reddy has left PM Modi feeling uneasy.

“Making a politically bold decision requires courage. Conducting a caste survey that reveals Backward Classes represent 57 per cent of Telangana's population is no trivial matter,” he remarked.

NCP working president Supriya Sule commended Revanth Reddy for his courageous decision and pledged her party's support for the Telangana government's demands.

DMK leader Kanimozhi joined the dharna to stand in solidarity with Telangana's push for 42 per cent reservations. She emphasized her party's commitment to the fight for social justice and equity, demanding immediate action on the caste census and reservation bills. She insisted that lifting the 50 per cent cap on reservations is crucial for addressing the injustices faced by marginalized communities.

Kanimozhi pointed out that Tamil Nadu has long been a leader in reservation policies, having increased its overall quota to 69 per cent. She accused the BJP government of using Governors to impede state bills and progress.