YSR Congress slashed Backward Classes quota in local bodies to 23.14%, alleges TDP

Rajya Sabha member Chintakayala Vijay has accused the YSR Congress Party of slashing Backward Classes quota in local bodies from 34% to 23.14%, costing BC communities over 16,800 posts.

Speaking at the TDP central office in Mangalagiri on Wednesday, Mr. Vijay defended his party's legacy on BC welfare, tracing it to the 1987 decision by then Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao to provide 34% reservation for Backward Classes in local bodies. He said the TDP had since implemented multiple welfare schemes for these communities, strengthening ties that now stand "stronger than ever before".

YSRCP treated BCs as vote bank, alleges TDP MP

Mr. Vijay cited his own elevation to the Rajya Sabha as proof of the "genuine commitment" of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh toward BC workers. He contrasted this with what he called the YSRCP and Congress approach of treating Backward Classes as a vote bank.

The TDP leader alleged that the previous YSRCP government failed to allocate funds or provide basic facilities to over 50 BC Corporations, diverted BC Sub-Plan funds, and reduced loans to BC communities. He claimed the YSRCP was now "playing the BC card" to distract from Enforcement Directorate investigations into liquor scams and other alleged scandals involving party leaders. Mr. Vijay warned the YSRCP of a "far worse plight" in the 2029 elections unless it changed course.

Jagan spreading lies on weather crisis, says Excise Minister

Meanwhile, Excise and Mines Minister Kollu Ravindra accused YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of "spreading blatant lies and fabricating stories" about the State's weather conditions. He noted that El Niño was affecting the entire country, not just Andhra Pradesh, and that the government had prioritised mitigating damage to agriculture and allied sectors.

Mr. Ravindra questioned why YSRCP MLAs stayed away from the Legislative Assembly if they genuinely cared about public issues, and what Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy achieved "by holding press meets outside". He said the government was providing ₹20,000 annual financial assistance to farmers and tenant farmers and taking market intervention measures to shield them from El Niño impacts.

Source: The Hindu