BJP’s new tactic to counter demand for Caste Census

Bharatiya Janata Party's sudden love towards Other Backward Classes (OBC) and the Madiga community is being seen as an effort to counter the Opposition's demand for a Caste Census

Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party‘s sudden love towards Other Backward Classes (OBC) and the Madiga community is being seen as an effort to counter the Opposition’s demand for a Caste Census.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s announcement to make a Backward Class leader the Chief Minister in the event of BJP coming to power in Telangana is being viewed as a tactical move to silence the demand of Opposition parties to conduct a Caste Census. Even Modi’s announcement of a panel to look into the issue of sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes is being viewed as an effort to divert the issue of Caste Census and to get the votes of Madigas, who constitute 60 percent of the SC population in Telangana.

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Interestingly, the BJP, in the run-up to the 2014 General Election, had promised to complete classification of SC reservations within 100 days of assuming power, but still has not honoured its commitment. And now, as Lok Sabha elections are fast approaching, it has announced a panel with an eye on the polls.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (then TRS) after assuming power in 2014 in Telangana, had forwarded two resolutions passed in the State assembly to the union government pressing for Dalit sub-categorisation. But the Modi government ignored the resolutions, which is why the sudden focus on the issue makes it evident that the BJP’s only aim is the Madiga support for the polls.

Since the BJP has a very nominal support base in Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Telangana, the effort, apparently, is to use the sub-categorisation issue as a tool to win support. There are 19 seats reserved for SCs and 12 for STs in the State. The BJP had lost deposits in all these reserved seats in the last two elections. On the other hand in the 2018 assembly elections, BRS won 16 out of the 19 SC reserve seats and four of the 12 ST seats.

Even Soyam Bapu Rao, who won the ST reserved Adilabad seat on a BJP ticket had joined the party from the Congress. This time, the BJP has fielded him from Boath assembly constituency, where he lost in 2014 and 2018. In fact, in an effort to woo the STs, the BJP is trying to project tribal heroes as Hindus. Ramji Gond and Komaram Bheem are worshipped by the Adivasis for their heroic fight against British imperialism and the Nizam’s revenue and forest policies. Yet, they are now painted by the BJP as Hindu Adivasis fighting against the Muslim rulers, the Nizam.

Madiga support

A large section of the Madiga community members have been extending support to the BRS during assembly and Lok Sabha polls and helped it in winning a considerable number of seats. In the 2018 assembly elections, BRS won 16 out of the 19 SC reserve seats, which is an indication that the community is strongly with it.

Senior Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) leader Yathakula Bhaskar along with a large number of his supporters joining the BRS has further strengthened the base of the party in the community. Telangana Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (TMRPS) State president Vangapalli Srinivas has also announced that the organization is supporting the BRS.