Caste census only solution for reservation for BCs in Andhra Pradesh: BSP

Vijayawada, Aug 20 (PTI) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Poornachandra Rao on Tuesday said caste census is the only solution to reservation for Backward Classes (BC) in Andhra Pradesh as political power has been majorly shared by two dominant castes over the past several decades.

Addressing a state-level BC roundtable conference, Rao claimed that BCs in Andhra Pradesh continue to face social and political injustice even 77 years after independence.

“Until 1983, the state was ruled by Reddy community. Since then, power is being shared by two dominant castes-- Reddys and Kammas,” he said in a press release.

Considering the “perpetual” political underrepresentation of these sections, the BSP state coordinator emphasised the need for conducting a comprehensive caste census to achieve the long-promised reservations for BCs in legislative bodies and local bodies.

According to Rao, 50 per cent of the 242 sub-castes belong to BCs while SCs amount to 20 percent of population and STs (seven percent).

Despite the numerically large numbers, he said these communities saw minimal representation in nominated posts and others such as vice-chancellors, heads of departments in institutions and most notably in the judiciary.

The BSP leader further claimed that the state witnessed 658 Reddy MLAs and 549 Kamma MLAs in the past 16 elections, while Yadavs had seen only 46 MLAs and Goudas including setti balijas only 68 MLAs.

“If 30 BC castes have no representation in legislative bodies, it means that nearly 40 percent of the population is not being represented,” he pointed out.

He dubbed as “diversionary tactic” the recent promise made by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to accord 33 per cent reservation for BCs in legislative bodies and 34 per cent in local bodies.

Even to fulfill this promise, Rao, a former IPS officer, said a caste census is necessary.

PTI STH ROH