• Drama despite knowing that the High Court would strike it down
• Deception in the name of 34% reservation for BCs in local body elections
• Chandrababu raises hopes only to leave BCs in the lurch
• High Court verdict puts a full stop to Chandrababu’s political drama
• If he is sincere, does he have the courage to get a law enacted at the Centre?
• Criticism mounts over Chandrababu’s publicity stunts aimed solely at political gains

Chandrababu has once again brutally backstabbed the BCs. After raising hopes of providing 34% reservation in local body elections, he has once again left them in the lurch. Despite knowing that Supreme Court judgments existed on the issue and that GOs issued contrary to those judgments would not stand legal scrutiny, Chandrababu deliberately created a political drama.

The High Court verdict has now put a full stop to the drama Chandrababu has been staging for the past several months in the name of providing 34% reservation to BCs in local body elections, the YSRCP stated.

If Chandrababu is genuinely sincere about BC reservations, the YSRCP demanded that he get a law enacted at the Centre. Chandrababu has the political opportunity to do so. He is in power in Andhra Pradesh and the same alliance is in power at the Centre. Instead of convincing the Centre and exerting political pressure to secure 34% reservation for BCs, Chandrababu is indulging in such dramas, misleading BCs and trying to derive political mileage, the YSRCP said.

Chandrababu the Deceiver

Through his political dramas, Chandrababu has once again proved himself to be a deceiver. He has never shown genuine commitment towards BCs, and his own record in government stands testimony to this.

Despite knowing that High Court and Supreme Court judgments had stipulated that reservations should not cross 50%, and despite knowing that the Andhra Pradesh High Court had earlier struck down such reservations, Chandrababu once again enacted a grand drama.

He himself goes to court. He himself gets it struck down. Then he sheds crocodile tears and tells us not to approach the courts.

YSRCP was the First to Bring a Law

If BCs ever received economic justice, social justice and political opportunities, it was during the YSRCP government.

For the first time in Andhra Pradesh’s history, a landmark law was enacted providing 50% reservation in nominated posts to BCs, SCs, STs and minorities. The law came into force on August 17, 2019, and thousands of positions went to BCs.

The law is right before Chandrababu’s eyes. The YSRCP government implemented it and the results were visible. Why does Chandrababu not implement it now?

When such a law already exists but Chandrababu refuses to implement it, while simultaneously claiming that he will provide 34% reservation to BCs in local body elections, people understood the deception from the very beginning.

Chandrababu’s tricks to mislead BCs

With a section of the media and social media machinery at his disposal, Chandrababu is attempting to mislead people through hollow GOs that cannot withstand the Supreme Court’s legal position. How long will this deception continue? Will BCs continue to be backstabbed like this?

BCs are among the sections that have suffered the greatest injustice since Chandrababu returned to power. Has even a single meaningful benefit reached them? Several programmes that substantially benefited BCs have been discontinued.

BC Empowerment happened under Y.S. Jagan

If any government worked with genuine commitment for the advancement of BCs, it was the YSRCP government. It was under YSRCP that a sincere attempt was made to transform their political, economic and social position.

Even after courts struck down the reservation provision, the Y.S. Jagan government demonstrated its commitment by ensuring political representation to BCs at 34% and, in several categories, even higher than that.

Of the 25 ministers in Jagan’s Cabinet, 11 were BCs, accounting for more than 40% of the Cabinet. Deputy Chief Minister posts were given to representatives from the SC, ST, BC, minority and Kapu communities, with two Deputy CM positions going to BCs and minorities.

Of the 11 Rajya Sabha seats filled under the state quota after the YSRCP came to power, four were given to BCs, providing nearly 36% representation.

BCs given priority across the board

• Between 2014 and 2019, Chandrababu did not send even one BC to the Rajya Sabha. Under YSRCP, four BC leaders were sent to the Rajya Sabha.
• Of 25 Lok Sabha seats, 11 were given to BCs, amounting to 44%.
• Of 58 MLC positions, 28 went to BCs, providing 48% representation.
• Of 13 Zilla Parishad Chairperson posts, six, or 48%, were given to BCs.
• Of 13 Mayor posts, nine, or 69%, went to BCs.
• Of 636 MPP posts, 239, or 38%, were given to BCs.
• Of 84 Municipal Chairperson posts, 44, or 53%, went to BCs.
• Of 639 ZPTC positions, 227, or 36%, were given to BCs.
• Of 8,239 MPTC positions, 3,361, or 41%, went to BCs.
• Of 10,536 Sarpanch posts, nearly 4,000, or 38%, went to BCs.
• Of 196 Agricultural Market Committee Chairperson posts, 76, or 39%, were given to BCs.
• Of 137 government corporation Chairperson posts, 53, or 37%, went to BCs.
• As many as 56 separate corporations were established for 139 BC communities, providing direct benefits to those communities.
• Through legislation, 50% of nominated posts and 50% of contracts awarded through nomination were reserved for SCs, STs, BCs and minorities. This historic measure was implemented under the YSRCP government.
• Within this, 50% representation was provided to women, another revolutionary measure.
• The YSRCP government was also the first in the country to bring legislation ensuring a 50% share for women in this manner.

Private Member’s bill in Parliament too

The YSRCP also introduced a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament seeking 50% reservation for BCs in legislative bodies. It demanded a separate Union Ministry and a separate budget for BCs.

The YSRCP government also passed a resolution in the Assembly seeking a BC caste census and forwarded it to the Centre. All of this is on record.

Through various welfare schemes, ₹1.30 lakh crore was transferred directly to BC beneficiaries through DBT. Including non-DBT benefits, the total reached ₹1.82 lakh crore.

Where have all those schemes gone today?

Through schemes such as Amma Vodi, Vidya Deevena, Vasathi Deevena, Rythu Bharosa, Pension Kanuka, Cheyutha, Aasara, Zero Interest loans, Nethanna Nestham, Matsyakara Bharosa, Vahana Mitra, Chedodu, Thodu, Kalyanamasthu and Shaadi Tohfa, unprecedented benefits were extended to BC families.

Where are all those schemes today?

They have been discontinued. Even the Super Six and Super Seven promises made by Chandrababu have turned into deception. The bonds carrying signatures that were distributed door-to-door have been thrown into the dustbin along with the manifesto.

Yet Chandrababu claims that he loves BCs.

When BC leaders grow politically, they are targeted with cases and sent to jail.

Vendetta and Arrests Against BC Leaders

Former minister Dr Seediri Appalaraju, who belongs to the fishermen community, was sent to jail by converting an accident case into an attempt-to-murder case and adding a conspiracy angle. It was not even a car accident but a bike accident involving an 18-year-old boy.

YSRCP leader Chintada Ravi was also sent to jail using a woman Sub-Inspector and portraying an incident that never happened as though it had occurred. When Y.S. Jagan visited Srikakulam jail to meet Seediri Appalaraju, thousands of people gathered there. A case was registered claiming that Chintada Ravi, a BC leader and Amadalavalasa coordinator, attempted to kill a woman SI in the presence of that massive gathering, and he was jailed.

Another case occurred in Kurnool. TDP workers themselves launched attacks, but a false case was created against Alur MLA Virupakshi, who belongs to the Boya community. A TDP worker was made to tear his own wife’s clothes and the blame was placed on followers of the YSRCP MLA.

A BC activist had called the MLA and sent him a video saying that people were attacking him and his house. When police failed to respond, the MLA himself went to the village to rescue the activist. On the way back, the MLA was attacked and his brother’s hand was fractured. A video showing the TDP worker tearing his own wife’s clothes also went viral on social media. Yet the blame was placed on the YSRCP MLA, an SC/ST case was registered and he was sent to jail.

Even after the assaulted activist was taken before the police and details of the attack on the MLA and his brother were provided, the police did not act or even register a case. Later, hundreds of police personnel descended on the MLA’s house after midnight and arrested him.

Former minister Karumuri Nageswara Rao, who belongs to the Yadav community, and his son Karumuri Sunil were also booked and jailed in what the YSRCP described as false cases. The case related to liquor transportation, a district-level contract of comparatively limited value, yet both father and son were arrested over purported irregularities. Karumuri Sunil had contested the Eluru Lok Sabha seat as the YSRCP candidate.

If Chandrababu genuinely loves BCs, would all this happen?

When seven fishermen from Visakhapatnam went fishing and six of them died, even the local minister did not visit their families. Yet the same government speaks about its concern for BCs.

There are also ₹9,000 crore in pending Vidya Deevena and Vasathi Deevena dues. With fees unpaid, students are not receiving their certificates and many are being forced to discontinue their education. BC students have been among the worst affected. After discontinuing the welfare programmes implemented during the YSRCP government and leaving BC families to bear the consequences, Chandrababu is once again trying to portray himself as the champion of BCs.