Clamour for BC Bandhu gets louder, poses challenge to CM

Hyderabad: While the Dalit Bandhu scheme may turn out to be a ‘vote-spinner’ for the ruling TRS, it is the growing demand for a ‘BC Bandhu’ that has the potential to pose a challenge to the plans of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in defeating former minister Eatala Rajender in the Huzurabad by-elections.

TRS leaders are happy that there are 50,000 Dalit voters in the constituency who are singing paeans for KCR. But, they are also worried as there are 1.20 lakh BC voters.

In the last two months, both the TRS and Eatala have been trying to win different sections of BC voters with freebies and schemes. The ruling party is on a spree of distributing government-offered schemes to Yadavs, Kurmas, Mudirajs, Gouds, Padmashalis and Munnuru Kapus, among others.

In the thick of the strategies and counter-strategies being implemented by the TRS and BJP, various BC welfare associations have demanded that KCR ensure that formal orders are issued by the government for implementation of BC Bandhu for the BC community on the lines of Dalit Bandhu before the bypoll notification, failing which they would campaign against the ruling party in Huzurabad.

However, political analysts said these cannot be taken as a serious threat. “What credibility do these organisations have in Huzurabad. Every politically-affiliated caste organisation and individual wants to fish in troubled waters. They do not pose a credible threat to the TRS,” said political analyst professor K Nageshwar.

However, political observers sought to caution the TRS government that the only threat to the ruling party would be how well the Dalit Bandhu scheme is being implemented.

The CM has already dropped enough hints that his government would extend the bandhu scheme to BCs and other communities in the state in a phased manner. KCR may plan to expand the period of expectations among the people that they too would get the Rs 10 lakh per family sop till 2023 elections, observers said.

Courtesy : TOI

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