The issue of political representation and reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) has once again become a major talking point in Andhra Pradesh politics. Senior YSRCP leader and former minister Dharmana Prasada Rao has posed direct questions to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which claims to have always stood by the BC communities.
Dharmana strongly criticised the approach allegedly followed by TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu towards BCs over the past two decades. He asserted that it was the YSRCP government that gave BCs greater political representation and a larger role in legislative bodies, and argued that the TDP had no moral right to project itself as the party of BCs.
Dharmana announced that YSRCP would organise public meetings to explain the facts to BC communities and highlight what he described as the injustice being done to BCs under the Chandrababu government. He said the party would take the issue to the people and explain who truly stood by BCs and who remembered them only during elections.
60–70% of Candidates in North Andhra Are BCs, Yet Figures Are Being Manipulated: Dharmana
Dharmana Prasada Rao claimed that 60 to 70 per cent of the candidates who contested elections in North Andhra belonged to BC communities. He alleged that attempts were being made to combine these figures and project them as an indication of the overall BC population in the state.
He also referred to the Supreme Court’s ruling by a larger Constitution Bench comprising nine judges, under which reservations for all categories generally cannot exceed 50 per cent. Against this backdrop, Dharmana questioned how it would be legally possible to provide 34 per cent reservation specifically for BCs.
He alleged that the government was not giving BCs adequate priority in municipal elections. If the government was genuinely committed to justice for BCs, he demanded that their representation should be increased at all levels, rather than being limited to elections.
Jagan Gave BCs Major Representation in Legislatures: Dharmana Cites Figures
Dharmana Prasada Rao said the YSRCP government had given special importance to political representation for BCs in legislative bodies.
He pointed out that when 18 Legislative Council seats fell vacant in 2023, 11 BC leaders were given an opportunity to become MLCs, which he described as a major achievement of the YS Jagan government.
He further stated that 19 of the 44 YSRCP MLCs were from BC communities.
According to Dharmana, there had never been such a significant level of political representation for BCs in the past. He said social justice was not merely about making promises, but about providing positions, decision-making powers and representation in legislative bodies.
Jagan Gave BCs Major Priority in 2024 Elections Too
Dharmana said former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had continued to give priority to BCs during the 2024 elections.
He said BC candidates were given tickets in 11 of the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies. Similarly, BC candidates were fielded in 48 of the 175 Assembly constituencies.
This meant that BC candidates were given opportunities in a total of 59 constituencies, which Dharmana said was roughly equivalent to providing representation of around 30 per cent.
He said the YSRCP government had worked to ensure that BCs were not merely represented in legislatures but were also given a role in the political decision-making process.
According to Dharmana, the party not only gave tickets to BC candidates but also provided them with positions of authority, opportunities to participate in decision-making and key responsibilities.
Hype Over BC Candidatures, But What Happens After Coming to Power?
Dharmana criticised the practice of promising greater representation to BCs during elections while allegedly failing to provide them adequate opportunities after coming to power.
He said the time had come for BC communities to question politics that treated them merely as a vote bank.
“If BCs are given tickets during elections but are denied positions after the party comes to power, BCs should question such an approach,” he said.
Dharmana demanded that the TDP answer questions such as: How many ministerial positions have been given to BCs? How many have been entrusted with key portfolios? And what level of representation have BCs received in legislative bodies?
How Many BC Ministers Are in Chandrababu’s Cabinet?
Dharmana stressed that merely giving election tickets to BC candidates could not be considered social justice. The real question, he said, was how many ministerial positions have been given to BCs after coming to power and what portfolios have been entrusted to them.
He recalled that during the formation of the Telugu Desam Party, N.T. Rama Rao had given considerable importance to BC communities and created political opportunities for them.
However, Dharmana alleged that the situation changed under Chandrababu Naidu’s leadership.
He said the YSRCP government had given ministerial positions to 11 BC leaders, and highlighted this as evidence of the importance given to BC representation under the Jagan government.
What Is the TDP’s Stand on 34% Reservation for BCs?
Dharmana demanded that the Chandrababu government make its position clear on reservations.
He questioned the government over its promise of 34 per cent reservations for BCs, asking what legal and constitutional measures had actually been taken to implement the commitment.
Dharmana said YSRCP would organise public meetings across the state to create awareness among BC communities about what he described as the misleading claims of the Chandrababu government.
He said the party would explain to the public the alleged injustice faced by BCs, their rights and the opportunities provided to them by the previous YSRCP government.
If There Is Genuine Commitment to BCs, Why Are They Not Getting Their Rights?
Dharmana questioned why BCs were allegedly not receiving their due political and social representation if the Chandrababu government was genuinely committed to their welfare.
He said increasing political representation alone was not enough and that concrete measures were also required for the economic and social development of BC communities.
He criticised attempts to woo BC voters before elections while allegedly ignoring their concerns after coming to power.
Dharmana urged BC communities to consider a fundamental set of questions: Who truly stood by BCs? Who shared power with them? And who provided them opportunities in legislative bodies?
TDP Has No Moral Right to Call Itself a Party of BCs: Dharmana
Dharmana Prasada Rao launched a strong attack on the TDP, saying it had no moral right to project itself as a party of BCs.
He challenged the TDP to explain to the people what Chandrababu Naidu had done for BCs over the past 20 years.
Dharmana said YSRCP would place before the public, with statistics, the political representation provided to BCs under its government, including MLC positions, ministerial posts and election tickets.
He called for an end to what he described as politics aimed at misleading BC communities and urged them to identify the political forces that genuinely fight for their rights.
We Will Create Awareness Among BCs About Chandrababu’s Alleged Deception
Dharmana said YSRCP would launch a statewide campaign to explain to the public what he described as the injustices faced by BCs under the Chandrababu government.
He said public meetings would be organised with the objective of creating awareness among BC communities.
According to Dharmana, the YSRCP’s objective was not only to increase political representation for BCs but also to fight for their rights, secure the opportunities due to them and politically empower BC communities.
Who Stands With BCs? Who Has Only Made Promises and Who Has Actually Supported Them?
Dharmana Prasada Rao’s remarks, backed by figures on the political representation provided to BCs under the YSRCP government, have once again placed the BC issue at the centre of Andhra Pradesh politics.
He primarily highlighted issues such as 11 BC leaders being given MLC opportunities in 2023, 19 BCs among the 44 YSRCP MLCs, 11 BC tickets among the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in the 2024 elections, 48 BC candidates among the 175 Assembly constituencies, and representation in a total of 59 seats.
On the other hand, Dharmana questioned how much representation the TDP has provided to BCs after coming to power, how much participation it has given them in ministerial positions, and what progress has been made on its promises regarding reservations.
The central question before BC communities now, according to Dharmana, is clear:
Who remembers BCs only during elections, and who continues to stand by them after coming to power?
Dharmana’s remarks suggest that this question is likely to remain a major political issue in Andhra Pradesh in the days ahead.
