TPCC chief reiterates demand for BC/OBC column in Census-2027, assures greater political share for BCs

TPCC president B. Mahesh Kumar addressing an OBC public meeting at Shamshabad on Sunday.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud said that the Congress was committed to securing a greater political share for Backward Classes (BCs) and asserted that a BC leader would become Chief Minister of Telangana in future.

He reiterated the demand for inclusion of a BC/OBC column in the nationwide Census-2027 and called upon BCs to unite and fight for its inclusion.

Telangana had set an example by conducting a caste survey, he said and slammed the Centre for exclusion of OBCs from its surveys while retaining the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) categories.

He said the Congress government had begun increasing BC representation in local bodies and would expand their representation in the Cabinet, Legislative Council and State corporations. He called upon BC communities to unite and demand their share in political power and welfare benefits.

Expressing confidence that Rahul Gandhi would become Prime Minister, he said the Congress would conduct a nationwide caste census if voted to power at the Centre and described social justice as a legitimate political demand.

Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said Telangana had emerged as a national example by conducting a caste survey. He said Telangana and Bihar had gained recognition for undertaking the exercise.

Mr. Prabhakar said a nationwide caste census was necessary to determine reservations, welfare measures and political representation on a scientific basis. He urged the BCs to mount pressure on the Union government by taking the Telangana Assembly's resolution on the issue to the grassroots.

AICC OBC cell chairman Anil Jaihind, All India Professional Congress president Madhu Yaskhi Goud, State government Adviser V. Hanumantha Rao and other BC legislators spoke at the meeting.