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New Indian Express

CM Siddaramaiah to lead show at Backwards Classes sammelan in Delhi

BENGALURU/DELHI: In what could be a game-changing political gambit, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is poised to take the national stage at a massive Backwards Classes sammelan in Delhi's Talkatora Stadium on July 25. The gathering, orchestrated by the AICC, comes on the heels of last week's Bengaluru convention, where Karnataka's OBC, Dalit and minority communities had converged in a show of renewed Ahinda solidarity. The Congress hopes to scale up its Backward Classes formula, crafted and championed by Siddaramaiah, to the national stage as it sharpens its strategy for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Observers say this could be Congress's Mandal 2.0 moment, with the party reworking its social justice pitch after years in the political wilderness. Insiders say that caste census data and community estimates are fuelling Congress confidence. 'There's a huge block of Kurubas across the country,' said one source. 'When you add communities like fishers, Edigas, Yadavas, it could point to a social shakeup.' Despite their size, none of these communities has ever seen one of their own become prime minister, which the Congress is keen to highlight. The Mandal Commission had earlier pegged the OBC population at 51-52%, and when combined with Dalits, STs, Adivasis and minorities, the coalition could form 75 per cent of the Indian electorate. Leading the charge is Siddaramaiah, a two-time CM and Kuruba leader with grassroots connect, administrative acumen, and an advocate of the oppressed. His emergence as the symbol of a new social justice coalition has re-energised Congress circles. On Friday, Talkatora Stadium is expected to see a crowd which will rally for nationwide adoption of the Bengaluru Declaration, demand a nationwide caste census modelled after Telangana's survey of collecting social, economic and political data, relaxation of 50 per cent cap on reservation for backward classes, and implementation of reservation in private educational institutions. The Congress believes the road to 2029 runs through India's heartland castes, and Siddaramaiah could just be the man to lead the long march.