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Ministers laud CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for empowering BCs
Ministers and former ministers along with the MLAs perform Palabhishekam to the statue of Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy at the police control room in Vijayawada on Tuesday
- Jogi Ramesh, Nageswara Rao, Ushasri Charan attack TDP chief Naidu for ignoring BCs during his rule and using them as vote bank
- Equate CM with Dr Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule and Jagjivan Ram
Vijayawada: YSRCP hailed Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for continuing with his policy of social justice and allotting lion's share of seats to Backward Classes (BCs) in the MLC elections.
Addressing separate press conferences here on Tuesday, the party leaders welcomed the decision and stated that of the total 18 seats announced, YSRCP is fielding 11 BCs, four OCs, two SCs and one ST candidate. They criticised Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu for not sending his party leaders from the BC community to Rajya Sabha.
Minister for housing Jogi Ramesh praised the Chief Minister for destroying the "capitalistic ideology" of TDP and said that Andhra Pradesh is the only state in the country where social justice is done for the weaker sections for the first time in the history.
The state has disbursed Rs 2 lakh crore through direct benefit transfer (DBT) under various welfare schemes in the last three-and-a-half years. If Naidu was really committed to the BC welfare, he should participate in an open debate and disclose what he had done for their upliftment, he dared.
Civil supplies minister K Venkata Nageswara Rao said the Chief Minister has taken a "revolutionary" decision and allotted 11 MLC seats to BCs out of total 18. He was all praise for the Chief Minister for implementing the ideology of Dr B R Ambedkar, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Babu Jagjivan Ram and other social reformers in the true spirit by including SCs, STs, BCs, minorities in political empowerment.
Reiterating his commitment to the empowerment of weaker sections, the Chief Minister has given a chance for 55 MLAs, four Rajya Sabha members and six Lok Sabha members from BC communities, he said and alleged that it was the TDP which approached the court to reduce BC quota to 24 per cent from 34. Now, the state government has given 66 per cent posts to BCs which indicates the government's commitment while the TDP had confined the backward classes to vote bank, Nageswara Rao said.
Minister for women and child welfare KV Ushasri Charan said the Chief Minister has been working hard for the progress and upliftment of the downtrodden and added that the government is a true reflection of Dr BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phule's ideals. During his 44 month rule, the Chief Minister has given more than 50 per cent posts to BCs, which is unprecedented in the history of united Andhra Pradesh.
On Lokesh adayatra, she said that it was being conducted to make derogatory comments on the Chief Minister without any agenda regarding the welfare to be done for the public if they were voted to power.
Rajahmundry MP M Bharath said that the Chief Minister has given top priority to BCs while filling up the posts right from local bodies to the Rajya Sabha and providing political power to the weaker sections. He also took a dig at the Opposition leader for giving Rajya Sabha seats for industrialists and businessmen during his tenure ignoring the upliftment of SC, ST, BC and minorities.
