Latest news with #Madigas
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Internal reservation: Nagamohan Das Commission expected to submit recommendations this week
The commission headed by retired judge H.N. Nagamohan Das, which has been tasked with recommending quota for internal reservation among Scheduled Castes in the State, is likely to submit its report this week. Sources in the commission said that the final report is ready and being checked for errors. The report will be submitted by Thursday to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, sources said. Currently, recruitment for public services has been stopped owing to the internal reservation issue, which will be removed once the commission's recommendations are accepted. After a two-month survey that began on May 5, the commission managed to identify 93% of the 1.16 crore projected Scheduled Caste population in the State. The survey lagged in Bengaluru city limits where 53% of the projected 13.62 lakh SC population was identified. The commission was set up by the government following a Supreme Court order in August 2024, which paved the way for internal reservation among the 101 Scheduled Castes in the State. The demand for internal reservation has mainly come from the Dallit left (Madigas) communities, which feels that the reservation benefits have so far been cornered by the Dalit right (Holeyas) communities, besides the Bhovis and Lambanis. Meanwhile, bringing pressure on the government, the Dalit left community leaders have threatened an indefinite protest from August 11 in Bengaluru seeking implementation of internal reservation.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Will the BJP-TDP alliance signal a new political fault line?
The speculation over whether the BJP will support a TDP candidate in the upcoming Jubilee Hills by-poll signals a broader realignment in Telangana's political landscape. The 2023 Assembly elections marked a rupture in Telangana's political trajectory. The decade-long dominance of the BRS, formerly the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, came to an end as the Congress returned to power under Revanth Reddy. While the spotlight has been on the Congress's resurgence, it is the unfolding re-entry of the TDP and the consolidation of the BJP-TDP-JSP alliance that holds deeper implications for the political landscape. To assess what this reshuffling portends, it is essential to revisit the historical trajectories of vote share transfers, social base shifts, and evolving patterns of caste and party alignment. The TDP's renewed interest in Telangana is a strategic return rooted in its historical strength. From 1985 to 1999, it consistently won over 45% of seats in the region, drawing support from Backward Classes (BCs) such as the Yadavs, Gouds, Mudirajs, Munnuru Kapus, and settler Kammas in southern Telangana. Post-2001, due to its ambiguous stance on Statehood, its vote share dropped from 38.46% in 1999 to 15.32% in 2014, and to 0% in 2023 when it did not contest. Correlation analysis of historical vote shares reveals a strong negative correlation (-0.89) between the TDP and the BRS, suggesting that the BRS's rise was built substantially on the crumbling edifice of the TDP's support base. This trend was visible across key districts (Table). In Karimnagar, the TDP's vote share plummeted from 46.5% (1999) to 0% (2023), while the BRS's vote share rose from 0% to 37.9% over the same period. In Medak, the TDP's fall from 47.5% to 0% coincided with the BRS's rise to 45.3%. In each case, the migration of BC votes and settler votes from the TDP to the BRS was crucial for the latter's dominance. However, the electoral tide began to turn after 2018. The BRS, having reached its peak in that election with a vote share of 47.32%, began to lose ground due to governance fatigue, internal fragmentation, and its failed attempt at national expansion. As dissatisfaction grew, especially among aspirational BCs and Dalits, a second wave of vote transfer began, this time from the BRS to the BJP. The BJP's Statewide vote share increased from 7.10% in 2018 to 13.9% in 2023, marking its best performance in Assembly elections in the State. Its growth was especially sharp in northern Telangana: in Adilabad, the BJP grew from 7.85% to 27.6%; and in Nizamabad, from 6.88% to 26.2%. Some Scheduled Tribe (ST) groups in northern Telangana, such as the Gonds, have also extended support to the BJP. What makes this moment particularly significant is the overlapping social base of the three parties. Each has historically drawn from the same pool of Backward Classes, settler Kammas, and sections of Dalits, especially the Madigas. The BRS's dominance between 2014 and 2018 rested on its ability to combine Velama leadership with broad BC support. But with the NDA now consolidating this fragmented social base, the TDP is reactivating its settler and BC networks in urban centres and the BJP is consolidating Madiga and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) support in the north. The expectation from the JSP is to mobilise Munnur Kapus. The BRS finds itself in danger of being squeezed out from both ends. Click to subscribe to our Data newsletter While this churn weakens the BRS, it paradoxically strengthens the Congress in the short term. In 2023, Congress won because it successfully positioned itself as the alternative amid a fractured opposition. Its vote share rose from 28.65% in 2018 to 39.40% in 2023, and it gained significant traction in southern districts. These gains came predominantly from traditional support among Reddys, Malas, and segments of OBCs disillusioned with the BRS. The Congress is moving beyond its traditional Reddy and Mala base by courting OBCs through a 42% BC reservation plan and by making BC leader Mukesh Kumar Goud as the State Congress chief. Its aim is to chip away at the OBC support of the BRS and BJP. This marks a conscious attempt to reposition itself as a platform for backward caste assertion in Telangana. Yet the NDA is posing a challenge with a broad caste alliance that includes Kammas, Kapus, Madigas and many non-dominant OBCs, backed by the BJP's cadre strength, the TDP's grassroots networks, and the JSP's possible appeal among youth and Munnur Kapus. Geographically, the NDA has managed to minimise internal friction: the BJP consolidates its hold over northern Telangana and urban pockets such as Hyderabad and Warangal, while the TDP is poised to recover ground in southern districts such as Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar, and Khammam. The alliance is thus strategically distributed. The real concern for the Congress, then, is not its lack of social breadth, but whether it can institutionalise its emerging coalition into a stable political architecture. If the BRS fails to recover by reviving Telangana sentiment and decentralising its leadership, it risks becoming a spoiler in contests increasingly shaped by Congress-NDA rivalry. Telangana, therefore, is entering a competitive three-cornered phase, but one with asymmetrical stakes. Pradeep Kumar Dontha is a political consultant and Vignesh Karthik K.R. is a postdoctoral research fellow of Indian and Indonesian politics at KITLV-Leiden Source: Election Commission of India and IndiaVotes Also read: Damned if they do, or don't: AIADMK's impossible choice on alliance with BJP
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Cong failed to fulfil internal quota promise for Madigas: Karjol
Mysuru: Former DCM and BJP MP Govind Karjol on Wednesday accused the Congress govt of failing to fulfil its promise of internal reservation for the Madiga community, as outlined in its election manifesto. Speaking to reporters, Karjol announced that a massive protest will be staged across all district headquarters and taluk headquarters on Aug 1 to press for the implementation of internal reservation. "The Andhra Pradesh govt implemented internal reservation back in 2005. Courts have since ruled that states must ensure internal reservation in line with evolving social needs. Even the Supreme Court has issued clear directions on this. Yet, the Karnataka govt continues to remain indifferent. This negligence has left the Madiga community with no choice but to agitate," he said. Former Union minister A Narayanaswamy said, "Siddaramaiah projects himself as a champion of the backward and oppressed. During the elections, he promised internal reservation for Madigas. But now, neither he nor his ministers are willing to even speak on the matter."
Hans India
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Mass protest planned on Aug 1 over internal reservation delay
Bengaluru: Intensifying their long-standing demand for internal reservation within the Scheduled Castes, Madiga community organisations have announced a massive state-wide protest on August 1. Former Union Minister A. Narayanaswamy declared that protestors will gather in front of Deputy Commissioners' offices across all districts to draw the state government's attention to the issue. Addressing a joint press meet at a private hotel in Bengaluru, Narayanaswamy reminded that August 1 will mark one year since Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud's ruling on internal reservation. 'If the Karnataka Cabinet fails to pass a resolution and present it in the Assembly by August 10, we will be forced to call for a Karnataka bandh,' he warned. He added that meetings with 4,000–5,000 people would be held to decide the next steps. He cautioned that the Madiga community would launch a non-cooperation movement if the government continued to delay the implementation. 'The Chief Minister himself once said that Congress lost because it failed to act on internal reservation. We will make sure history repeats itself if they betray us again,' he stated. Narayanaswamy pointed out that the Madiga community has been fighting for internal reservation for over three decades. He cited examples of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, where similar measures were successfully implemented. 'In Telangana, internal reservation was enforced in 1999, upheld by the High Court in 2004. But here, even after the Supreme Court's verdict, the Congress claims there is no need for it and denies the most marginalised their due share,' he alleged. He accused the Congress, which ruled Karnataka for decades, of repeatedly neglecting the Madiga community's rights. 'Even AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge advised the Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to go slow, yet Revanth went ahead and implemented it. Andhra's Chandrababu Naidu did it, Punjab did it, but Karnataka is dragging its feet,' he criticised. Recounting recent developments, Narayanaswamy said that when the Madigas protested in Belagavi five months ago, ministers promised implementation within three months and formed the Nagamohan Das Commission with a 40-day deadline. 'They asked for more time, but even after six months nothing has moved. The government didn't provide key political and employment data sought by the commission,' he said, accusing the state of deliberately stalling the process. Former Deputy Chief Minister and MP Govind Karjol also demanded that the state government implement internal reservation from August 16. 'This is a betrayal of Dalits. In 2023, the Congress promised this in its manifesto and during its first Cabinet meeting. But instead of delivering, they set up committees and keep extending deadlines,' Karjol alleged, adding that the Nagamohan Das Commission's requests for crucial information went unanswered. 'If the government fails to act by August 16, it will be 'implement or face mass agitation'. We will not let them bury this issue,' Karjol warned.
Hans India
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Attacks on Dalits increased in AP, alleges RPI chief
Republican Party of India (RPI), Andhra Pradesh president Dr Uppuleti Deviprasad accused the state government of failing to address the rising attacks on Dalits, thereby compromising their safety. Speaking at a press conference at the RPI state office here on Wednesday, he alleged that the ruling coalition is deliberately fuelling divisions among Dalit sub-castes, instigating violence. Deviprasad cited specific incidents to support his claims. In Aravalli village, Attili mandal of West Godavari district, he alleged that Madiga youth, backed by influential government figures, attacked five Mala youth. He criticised the police for filing superficial cases to downplay the incident. Similarly, in Jakkulanekkalam village, Gannavaram mandal, Krishna district, he claimed the government incited Madigas against Malas, leading to clashes. Dr Deviprasad expressed shock that such incidents are occurring under Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's leadership. He also condemned the public beating of two Dalit youth and one minority youth by police in Tenali, Guntur district, calling it unacceptable and accusing the police of fabricating false cases. He highlighted the case of Perikala Madhu, a 33-year-old Dalit from Tummuluru, Kollipara mandal, who allegedly committed suicide due to harassment by Gayam Siva Reddy over a repaid Rs 50,000 loan. Further, he alleged that followers of TDP leader Ginjupalli Venkateswara Rao injured Dalit individuals Emella Sharath Babu and Emella Ramaswamy in Yanamadala village, Guntur district. He also recalled a disturbing incident in Kuppam, the Chief Minister's constituency, where a Dalit woman was tied to a tree and beaten, questioning the safety of Dalits in the state. During the press conference, Dr Deviprasad announced key RPI appointments: G Ramarao and Bandi Kanaka Varaprasad as state vice-presidents, Ramanjaneyulu as state general secretary, Kookatlapalli Prasad and Pilli Raju as executive secretaries, Kanapalli Vinay Babu as Guntur district coordinator, Pradeep Bonigala as Guntur district president, Nallapu Neelambaram as Guntur city branch president, Kala Mahar as State Student Wing president, Arun Kumar as social media wing president, Chinthapalli Nagaraju as Krishna district Youth Wing president, and Jammi Solomon as Tadipatri constituency In-charge.
