Three options on BC quota for PAC as local body polls draw close in Telangana
The PAC meeting, likely to be convened before Independence Day, will deliberate on three key alternatives recently outlined by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. These include: waiting for the Centre's approval of the BC reservation Bills, issuing a Government Order (GO) to implement the quota temporarily, or bypassing legislative hurdles by allotting 42% of party tickets to BC candidates in the upcoming polls.
TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, speaking informally to reporters at Gandhi Bhavan, confirmed that the PAC would discuss the matter and take a final decision in consultation with senior leaders. He also reiterated the party's confidence in sweeping the local polls.
Claiming positive public response to his Janahita Padayatra — a statewide outreach programme during which he has been receiving applications for pensions, housing, and other welfare schemes — Goud said the initiative would resume after August 23, with both Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka expected to join him occasionally.
Goud criticised the BJP for what he described as the 'silence' of its BC leaders on the issue of reservations. 'The silence of BC leaders in the BJP, including Union Minister Bandi Sanjay and MPs Eatela Rajender and Dharmapuri Aravind, is a loss for BC communities,' he said.
He further alleged that the BJP was attempting to sow discord within the Congress by portraying the demand for a BC chief minister as a threat to party unity. 'Only the Congress can make a BC leader chief minister,' he asserted, rejecting suggestions that such demands indicated disunity between him and Revanth Reddy.
On the controversial remarks made by Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy against the chief minister, Goud said the party's disciplinary committee would look into the matter.
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