Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday declared that he, along with state ministers and party MPs, is prepared to stage a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to press the Union government for approval of 42% reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in the state. The proposed quota would cover panchayat raj local bodies, government jobs, and educational institutions.
Revanth urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and MPs from various political parties to raise the matter vigorously in Parliament, asserting that the Telangana government had submitted its proposal for enhanced BC quotas to both the Centre and the President of India nearly four months ago. “We have fulfilled our responsibility. Now it is the Centre’s turn to act,” he said.
The chief minister also indicated that the state government is considering increasing reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) based on the findings of Telangana’s recently completed socio-economic caste survey. According to the proposal under consideration, SC quota may be raised from 15% to 17.5%, while ST quota may increase from 10% to 10.8% (rounded off to 11%).
Revanth added that the upcoming national caste census would provide definitive clarity on the actual population share of these communities and help in framing a data-backed reservation policy at the national level.
Speaking at a presentation on the Telangana caste survey held at Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi, Revanth emphasized the survey’s credibility. “The Telangana survey is not just a caste count. It is a comprehensive socio-economic, educational, and political survey. We collected 88 crore pages of self-declared data. It is 100% foolproof,” he said.
The chief minister said a letter of appreciation from Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi felt like a “Nobel or Oscar award,” calling it the highest honour of his political career. “When Sonia ji congratulated me, it was not just personal recognition but validation of the entire team’s efforts,” he remarked.
Taking sharp aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Revanth alleged that the BJP-led Centre was deliberately stalling the approval of enhanced BC quotas. He controversially claimed that “Modi is a legally converted OBC, as his caste was included in the category only after he became Gujarat CM.”
Revanth warned that if the Centre continues to block the BC reservation bill, “the people will remove him from power and ensure the bill’s passage.” He recalled his earlier dharna at Jantar Mantar, stating: “At that time, I told Modi — either pass it now, or the people will pass it after removing you from office. That message must now be sent again through Parliament.”
The CM strongly criticized both the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for opposing caste census initiatives. He reminded that in 2020, the Union government had informed the Supreme Court it had no intention of conducting such a census. Defence minister Rajnath Singh had also reiterated the same stance in Parliament.
However, Revanth asserted that the BJP was later compelled to include the caste census in the national census exercise this year, largely due to the relentless pressure from Congress and particularly Rahul Gandhi, who made the caste survey a central demand during his Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Revanth also targeted Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao, accusing them of attempting to discredit the survey’s findings. He claimed to have challenged them on the floor of the Assembly to prove any of the survey data wrong but alleged that they failed to do so.
Calling the survey a “rare model,” Revanth said it could serve as a roadmap for the entire country. “If anyone has a problem calling it the Telangana model, let’s call it the ‘rare model’—and I will explain why,” he told the gathering.
Deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka presented details on the methodology of the caste survey, emphasizing its transparency and accuracy. Irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud also spoke about the survey’s political and social significance, asserting that it was designed to ensure equitable representation for marginalized communities.
The Telangana government is now awaiting a formal response from the Union government regarding the proposal for increasing BC quotas. State officials maintain that the proposal is constitutionally valid and backed by empirical data. Legal experts, however, have pointed out that any enhancement of reservations beyond the 50% ceiling may require either a constitutional amendment or a clear judicial nod from the Supreme Court.
Despite this, Revanth remains firm on his stance. “If required, we are ready to take this battle to the people and to Delhi. Jantar Mantar will witness our determination,” he declared.
The announcement has sparked intense political debate in Telangana. While Congress leaders and BC associations have welcomed the move, opposition parties, including the BJP and BRS, have accused the state government of playing “quota politics” ahead of the next election.
