From BJP’s BC Card To Congress’ Caste Census Demand, How Is Caste Playing Out In Poll-Bound Telangana

On November 11, less than three weeks prior to when Telangana will vote for their next government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a stage with Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) leader Manda Krishna Madiga. Madigas constitute a majority among Dalit sub-groups in Telangana and have been demanding internal reservations. The Prime Minister said that he supports the MRPS and its aims. Manda Krishna Madiga burst into tears. PM Modi then put Krishna’s head on his shoulder in an effort to console him. 

These images point towards the moot question: whether BJP’s plans of positioning itself as a champion of BCs will be effective in countering the opposition’s poll strategy of demanding a nation-wide caste census?

The caste politics in Telangana is unique and complex in comparison to the other states that are heading for polls this year. Incidentally, all ruling and opposition parties in the Telugu states, including Andhra Pradesh, are led by upper castes. The incumbent chief minister of Telangana K Chandrasekhar Rao belongs to the Velamma (zamindar or landlord) community. The strong contender Congress party, is also dominated by upper caste and land-owning Reddys. Despite the presence of Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge, several key positions in the Congress are held by Reddys. 

This dominance of Reddys was also visible in the undivided Andhra Pradesh when YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the chief minister – the Congress has trusted Reddy's with the top position.

Amid caste-related politics at the national level, political experts say a caste census has the potential to topple the dominance of upper castes in such states. 

Is there a caste census demand in Telangana?

According to the household survey conducted by the Telangana government in 2014 (the results of which weren’t released publicly but have been cited in many media reports since then), OBCs constitute 51 per cent of its 3.6 crore population — together with Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and minorities, the share goes over 85 per cent. These numbers have been used to design several of KCR’s flagship schemes for minority welfare. 

“A Caste Census will help increase reservations for BCs in proportion to their population. The Congress party must clearly mention the need of the Caste Census and how it will impact the BCs. It will also provide substantial data for designing welfare schemes,” says G Kiran Kumar, a PhD research scholar at the University of Hyderabad and the national president of the All India OBC Students Association. 

Backward classes groups have been urging the KCR-led government to issue an order to conduct the caste census of BCs in the state amid BJP-led union government's refusal to undertake the exercise at the national level. These groups have even offered to extend help to BRS in other states if it comes out with an order to conduct BC caste census in Telangana.

BC Sankshema Sangham national president Jajula Srinivas Goud said, "If a GO (Government Order) is issued for caste census in Telangana, we are ready to enlighten BCs and OBCs in states where BRS wants to contest.”

The BC communities not only want better delivery of government schemes but also adequate political representation based on their population. 

For this year’s election, the BJP has given tickets to 34 BC candidates so far – the highest by any party.  Experts say that on the other hand, the Congress party’s AHINDA strategy – which brought the party to power in Karnataka – has not proven to be fruitful in Telangana.

The Congress has only 19 BC candidates between two lists announcing contestants for over 100 constituencies. “There is no social re-engineering process that happened in Telangana. Reddys dominate the Congress party. Even in MLA Seat distribution, Reddys got more seats. Hence, Congress is behind in the social re-engineering process and must rely more on Caste Census demand that will attract more voters towards Congress,” Kumar says.

Meanwhile, the BRS, which released names of almost all 119 candidates three months prior to elections, has given tickets to only 23 BC leaders. Reddys with 6 per cent population got 40 seats, Velama caste, which does not make up even 1 per cent of the population, got 11 seats, and the third influential caste, Kamma, who are mostly settlers from Andhra Pradesh and confined to a few pockets, has been allotted 5 seats.

Where do different parties stand on caste census?

It was in October 2021 that the Telangana Assembly had passed a resolution seeking a caste wise census of the Backward Classes while holding the general census for 2021. KCR had told the Assembly that BCs constitute nearly 50 per cent of Telangana’s population.

While the BRS Government has been in favour of a caste census, its leaders have chosen to remain relatively mum over the issue leading up to the polls. 

The Congress party has been demanding the caste census nationally, along with states that are going to polls before 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 

During an election rally in Telangana, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said the biggest issue in the country is with regard to caste census and termed it an "X-ray" that will throw light on the condition of Dalits, tribals and OBCs. 

He vowed that if the Congress is voted to power in Telangana then the first work his party's government will do is to take up "X-ray" in the state. However, activists say that while Rahul Gandhi has been raising the issue of Caste Census at the national level, the demand has not been advocated at the same level during Telangana election campaigns by local Congress leaders. 

The Congress party has instead relied on its six poll promises - Mahalakshmi Scheme, Rytho Bharosa, Griha Jyoti, Indra Amma Indlo, Rajiv Arogyasri, and Yuva Vikasam, Kumar says.

The BJP, which had earlier maintained a stance of complete opposition to the caste census demand, is now using the BC card to gain some inroads into poll-bound states including Telangana. At an election rally in Suryapet, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation Amit Shah announced that if the BJP were voted to power in Telangana, it would make a Backward Class leader the Chief Minister. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the rally in Secunderabad said that the Centre would soon form a committee which would address their three-decade long pending demand of categorisation of Scheduled Castes.

However, political activists say that while BJP may attract BC votes, it is too late to make an impact on changing the mood of the voters. If BJP would have announced this move of appointing a ‘BC CM’ one year ahead and then prepare for the elections, it could have bore some results.