Telangana turning out to be BJP's OBC politics laboratory

NEW DELHI: To take on the opposition's poll strategy of demanding OBC-based caste census and reservation for the community, the BJP's strategy is to make Telangana its OBC politics laboratory which if successful will be implemented in other states.

OBCs and Dalits collectively constitute 68 per cent (51 per cent and 17 per cent respectively) of Telangana's total population and the BJP is trying to woo both of them.

To counter opposition's caste census demand, the BJP is planning to conduct OBC survey in the entire country. Too woo OBCs, the BJP is making spree of announcements and trying to prove that congress and BRS are anti-OBC.

On October 27, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing a rally in Suryapet, had announced that if BJP is voted to power in the state assembly polls, then the chief minister will be made from the OBC community.

Attacking the Congress, the BJP said that the grand-old party, which has been raking up population based rights issue, gave tickets to only 23 people from the community of the total 114 candidates announced for the state assembly polls.

Attacking the Congress, the BJP said by giving only 20 per cent representation to OBCs which constitute 51 per cent of the state population, the grand-old party has "cheated" them.

After facing defeat in the Karnataka assembly polls, the BJP wants to win the Telangana Assembly polls at all costs and that's the reason it has started to woo the electorate based on their castes.

The BJP is of the view that winning the Telangana Assembly polls can give an impetus to its "mission South" benefitting the party in states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

The BJP is also of the view that even if the party secures more votes as compared to Congress in the Telangana Assembly poll, it would put a question mark on the grand-old party's existence in the state. Besides Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's rights as per population saga will also end , benefitting the saffron party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

By wooing Dalits and OBCs, the BJP is trying to create a solid support base for it in the state.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Secundeabad, organised by Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS), tried to woo Madigas who constitute 60 per cent of the Dalit population of the state. He said that the Centre would soon form a committee which would address their three-decade long pending demand of categorisation of Scheduled Castes.

When the Prime Minister said that he supports the samiti and its aims, Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi leader Manda Krishna Madig burst into tears..

A video in which Prime Minister is consoling Manda Krishna Madiga also went viral on Saturday.

The Madiga community has influence on 24 seats in the Telangana Assembly.