Eye on LS polls, Telangana Cong looks to double down on schemes after caste survey

More importantly, the data would be used to increase the quota for BC candidates in local bodies to empower them politically. This would be a significant move, as in the November elections that brought the Congress to power, a significant chunk of BC voters appear to have shifted allegiance to it from the then incumbent Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS). Naturally, the Congress aim is to keep the BC population — which is reported to be around 52-56% in the state — on its side, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has already promised to increase the quota for BCs in local bodies. “BCs will become the rulers in this state,” he said in the Assembly after the resolution to hold the caste survey was passed.

“The survey data will help us extend support to BCs, STs and SCs, by providing them financial assistance, while improving their social condition, provide them education-related facilities, scholarships, etc, and create more employment opportunities,” said BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar.

In its Telangana election manifesto, the Congress had promised to increase BC reservations in local bodies from the existing 23% to 42% — which would create about 23,973 new political leadership positions for BCs in panchayats and municipalities — while also ensuring sub-categorisation within the BC reservation in local bodies besides providing 42% reservation for BCs in government contracts for civil construction and maintenance. If this plan succeeds without getting entangled in legal hurdles, it is expected to create a huge support base among BCs for the party.

The Congress government has also promised to spend Rs 1 lakh crore in five years on BC welfare; a BC sub-plan named after Mahatma Jyotiba Phule; a separate Most Backward Classes (MBC) welfare ministry to oversee the development of MBC castes; establishment of separate corporations for all BC castes; up to Rs 10 lakh in interest and collateral free loans for BC youth to establish small businesses or pursue higher education; and reduction in the age limit, from 57 to 50 years, for availing old-age pension for all communities engaged in “caste occupations” — a move that is expected to cover a large number of BCs under the pension umbrella.

Immediately after the BRS (then called TRS) stormed to power after the formation of the Telangana state in 2014, it conducted a social-economic survey called the Samagra Kutumba Survey. While the BRS government never revealed the results, it used the data to identify BCs, SCs, STs, the socially and economically backward classes and weaker sections, and target specific welfare schemes at these groups, like the sheep distribution scheme for the Yadavs and the Kurumas, who are BCs.

The Congress government wants to create a more comprehensive and all-inclusive plan for the weaker sections, for which data from the caste survey will be of great help, Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka said Saturday. “Once we have the data, we’ll be able to implement the BC Declaration in our manifesto in a proper way, and will announce a separate budget for BCs,” he said.

There are 134 BC communities in Telangana. The Congress is expected to try and unite them in its favour by agreeing to the demands of BC leaders and announcing quotas for them across sectors, including politics and education, based on the numerical strength of each BC community.

During the election campaign in November, leaders representing the Golla Kurumas (Yadavs), Gouds, Munnuru Kapus, Padmashalis, Mudirajs, Rajaka and other castes, had attended public meeting with leaders of several political parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the BJP, in which they had demanded a caste-based survey to identify the exact number of people in each BC community. Aware of their demands, the Congress government wants to implement caste-specific benefits as early as possible.

While courting the powerful Mudiraj community, it wants to move them, along with the Mutrasi and the Tenugollu communities, from the BC-D category to the BC-A group, which will allow the government to give them higher reservation percentages.

For the Gangaputras, the government wants to set up a Telangana Fisheries Development Board, with the power to resolve pending issues such as fishing rights among the fisher folk, while also taking up fisheries development activities such as promotion of aquaculture, captive seed nurseries and marketing infrastructure.

For the Yadavs and the Kurumas, there would be a second phase of sheep distribution. For the Gouds, the government promises to allocate 5 acres in each village to plant oil palms, and a 90% subsidy on palm tree saplings and drip irrigation infrastructure. It also wants to increase the reservation for Gouds in liquor shop licenses from the existing 15% to 25%, and to rename Jangaon district Sardar Sarvai Papanna Goud Jangaon district.

For the Munnur Kapus, a Telangana Munnuru Kapu Corporation would be set up to provide subsidised loans to encourage the youth towards entrepreneurship. For the Padmashalis, mega powerloom clusters will be set up in Jagityal, Narayanpet and Bhongir, along with 90% subsidies on power looms and accessories given to their Padmashali owners.

Depending on their respective family trades, the Vishwakarmas would be provided with toolkits for barbers, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, carpenters and potters at 90% subsidy, along with land assigned in urban areas to set up their shops. Youths of the Rajakas — a caste that is a huge vote bank for the Congress — would be given a subsidy of Rs 10 lakh to establish laundry services in the cities.

The Opposition MLAs have expressed doubts over the Congress’s commitment to the welfare of the BCs. They point to the fact that in the November 2023 elections, the party had fielded the lowest number of BC candidates — 20 — among the contenders. In contrast, the BJP had fielded 39 candidates, and the BRS 24. BRS leader T Harish Rao said the Congress should announce that it is committed to using the caste survey data for the welfare of BCs and weaker sections, spelling out his party’s suspicion of the move.