BJP to play Madiga card to cast-e out Congress

Hyderabad: If the developments taking place in Telangana are any indication, it appears that the BJP is going to play the caste card more than others in the Lok Sabha elections to stop the Congress juggernaut.

It wants to project that the Congress party had caused injustice to the Madiga community which is a majority community in the state in allotment of tickets.

Manda Krishna Madiga, who turned a strong supporter of BJP ever since the ruling national party announced the Centre’s readiness to fulfill the demand for the SC categorization in the implementation of reservation in education and jobs at the state and central level at a recent public meeting which was addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is learnt to be spearheading the campaign.

He has been demanding the Congress to allot the tickets to Madigas in proportion to the population of the sub castes in the SC community. The BJP has allotted three SC reserved seats – Nagarkurnool, Peddaplly and Warangal to the Madigas who constitute more than 70 per cent of the total population while the Congress gave tickets to Mala community.

Manda Krishna launched a political campaign against Congress ahead of the elections and the BJP apparently wants to enlist the support of the Madiga community. To what extent the efforts of BJP to win the Madiga community voters would fructify remains to be seen. The campaign that Congress had ignored Madigas is more in the segments where BJP feels that the contest would be keen between the two national parties.

Sources said that Manda Krishna was making all-out efforts to unite all Madiga communities against Congress. Traditionally, Dalits (SCs) are strong supporters of Congress in Telangana. Leaders said that Manda Krishna would also take up yatra to expose the Congress in the ticket allotment.

Manda Krishna said, “Madigas are being deprived of political opportunities as the Mala community holds key positions at national level and in State. AICC chief Mallikarjuna Kharge, CWC member Koppula Eshwar and Deputy CM in State Bhatti Vikramarka belong to the Mala community. CM Revanth while forming a nexus with Malas was depriving the community of its proper representation.”