The YSRCP has offered 11 of the 18 MLC tickets to the BCs, followed by two tickets to SCs, one to STs, and four to OCs — the upper castes.
Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. (Creative Commons)
It is hard to miss the elephant in the room. As the Assembly elections are only a little over a year away in Andhra Pradesh, the ruling YSRCP is trying to coddle the Backward Classes (BCs), whose support will crucial for the party to do an encore at the hustings.
Accordingly, the YSRCP has offered a lion’s share — 11 of the 18 — of the MLC tickets to the BCs. This is followed by two tickets to Scheduled Castes (SCs), one to Scheduled Tribes (STs), and four to Other Castes (OCs).
People from the upper castes are referred to as OCs in the Telugu-speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Of the 18 seats, the election would be held for 16 seats on 13 March as the remaining two are to be nominated by the Governor in due course of time.
The YSRCP’s strategy is as clear as the daylight: It wants to warm up to the BCs and prevent them from entertaining any thoughts of looking back at the TDP.
Local bodies (9):
MLAs quota (7):
Governor’s quota (2):
శాసనమండలిలో ఖాళీ స్థానాల భర్తీలో ఎస్సీ, ఎస్టీ, బీసీలకు సీఎం శ్రీ వైయస్ జగన్ పెద్దపీట. 18 ఎమ్మెల్సీ స్థానాల్లో 11 బీసీలకు, 2 ఎస్సీలకు, 1 ఎస్టీలకు కేటాయింపు. ఓసీలకు 4 ఎమ్మెల్సీ స్థానాలు కేటాయించిన సీఎం జగన్. #YSJaganForBCs #APMLCElections pic.twitter.com/3NFz09Sg6S
— YSR Congress Party (@YSRCParty) February 20, 2023
YSRCP general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, pointing out that most of the candidates belong to BCs, STs, BCs, and minorities, claimed that their very selection vindicated Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s commitment to stand by the deprived sections.
He said that after the election of these candidates, the number of BCs in the Legislative Council would go up to 19, SCs to six, one ST, four minorities, and 14 OCs.
In other words, all of them together would constitute 68.18 percent of the total seats in the Legislative Council. The percentage of OCs would be 31.8 percent.
Taking a swipe at the 2014-19 TDP regime in the state, he said that the TDP sent 48 candidates to the Legislative Assembly, of whom 30 were OCs while the BCs, SCs, STs, and minorities were only 18.
In other words, 62.5 percent of the lawmakers were OCs, and the rest of them constituted BCs (12 percent), SCs (3 percent), STs (1 percent), and minorities (2 percent). There can be no more clinching evidence than this that the TDP had betrayed these sections.
Meanwhile, BC Welfare and Information and Public Relations Minister Chelluboina Venugopala Krishna said that weaker sections could now raise their heads high with the chief minister giving them top priority in allotting tickets for the forthcoming MLC polls. “Jagananna is a social reformer,” he said.
In Telangana, too, the umbilical cord between the AIMIM and the BRS appears to be continuing, with the latter deciding to support the former’s nominee for the election to the Legislative Council from the Hyderabad Local Authorities constituency.
According to party sources, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has taken a decision to this effect.
After his decision became known, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted his thanks to KCR. He said: “Inshallah the people of Telangana & the country will bless CM sahab for his inclusive and visionary leadership. [sic]”
We thank @TelanganaCMO for supporting our candidate for MLC elections. Inshallah the people of Telangana & the country will bless CM sahab for his inclusive & visionary leadership
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) February 21, 2023
The seat is falling vacant as the incumbent Syed Aminul Hasan Jafri’s term is coming to an end on 1 May.
The AIMIM is likely to renominate him to the council. He is expected to file his nomination papers on Wednesday, 22 February.
There will also be an election to the council from the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar teachers’ constituency as incumbent Katepalli Janardhan Reddy’s term will end on 29 March.
The BJP has already announced that its candidate for the teachers’ seat will be A Venkatnarayan Reddy, who is the chairman of the Dilsuknagar Public School.
The Congress has extended its support to Galreddy Harshavardhan Reddy, who is from the Mahabubanar district.
He contested the seat unsuccessfully on behalf of the Progressive Recognised Teachers’ Union-T (PRTU-T) in 2017 and later joined the Congress.
The BRS has not yet revealed its mind as to who it would support. In all likelihood, it may take a neutral stand.
Apr 25, 2024
Apr 25, 2024
Apr 25, 2024
Apr 25, 2024
Apr 25, 2024
Apr 25, 2024
