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

The Congress government in Telangana has got a resolution passed in the state Assembly unanimously for conducting a door-to-door caste survey covering all communities in the state.

The A Revanth Reddy-led government has promised to utilise the data from the caste survey to target the state’s large Backward Classes (BC) population by extending welfare schemes and assistance to benefit them economically, socially and educationally.

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