A group of Dalit MLAs from the Madiga community in Telangana has departed for Delhi to press their demand for fair representation in the state cabinet. The MLAs are scheduled to meet Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday to voice their dissatisfaction over the exclusion of Madiga leaders from ministerial positions during the initial phase of cabinet formation.
The group, comprising five MLAs—Mandula Samelu, Kale Yadaiah, Adluri Laxman Reddy, Kavvampalli Satyanarayana, and Laxmikanta Rao—had earlier submitted a formal petition to Congress in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, highlighting the community’s underrepresentation. While the first cabinet included two ministers from the Scheduled Castes (SC) category—Damodara Rajanarasimha and Bhatti Vikramarka—both hail from the Mala community, leaving the Madigas unrepresented.
Call for Inclusive Representation:
The Madiga MLAs argue that their community, with a population exceeding 3 million in Telangana, played a significant role in securing the Congress’s electoral victory in the recent state assembly elections. Despite their contribution, they feel sidelined in the power-sharing equation and are demanding that the ongoing cabinet expansion rectify this imbalance.
“The Madigas have consistently supported the Congress party. Now is the time for the party to show its commitment to social justice by ensuring proportional representation in governance,” said one of the MLAs before leaving for Delhi.
Assurance from Party Leadership:
According to sources, Meenakshi Natarajan acknowledged the concerns raised by the delegation and assured them of her personal intervention. She reportedly promised to escalate the issue to the highest levels of party leadership.
The delegation’s planned meeting with Kharge is seen as a crucial opportunity to secure a definitive commitment from the central leadership. Party insiders suggest that the outcome of this meeting could influence the political mood within the Dalit voter base, particularly the Madiga community, which has historically felt marginalized within the SC quota framework.
