Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president N. Chandrababu Naidu has said that he is committed to taking steps needed for the financial and political empowerment of the Backward Classes (BCs) after his party comes to power in the upcoming general elections, while predicting a humiliating defeat for the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).
Launching the ‘Jai Ho BC’ campaign at the party’s central office on January 4, Mr. Naidu said the BCs suffered a lot of injustices under the YSRCP rule, whereas the TDP government implemented some historic programmes for them. “The TDP has more leaders from the BC communities than the YSRCP,” he added.
He alleged that the YSRCP government reduced the reservation for the BCs in the local bodies from 34% to 24%, and that the job loss in the last five years was unprecedented.
Further, Mr. Naidu criticised Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy for neglecting the BCs despite claiming to have spent ₹75,000 crore on their welfare.
“With what moral authority is the YSRCP taking out the Samajika Sadhikara Yatra, having failed to implement the promises that have been made for the uplift of the BCs,” Mr. Naidu questioned.
He said 25 of the 38 YSRCP MLAs who were changed belonged to the SC, ST, BC and minority communities. Mr. Naidu asserted that the BCs were the backbone of the TDP, and that the ‘Special Protection Act for BCs’ had been included in the TDP’s ‘Super-6’ to bring those attacking the BCs to justice.
The TDP leaders and workers would visit the Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies in the coming days and create awareness about the need to elect the TDP-Jana Sena Party alliance to power, Mr. Naidu added.