Hyderabad: The State Government and ruling Congress has adopted a ‘two-pronged strategy’ to register a resounding victory in the ensuing local body elections by making a 42 per cent quota to backward classes (BCs) a big political agenda in the polls.

The State government has already enacted a law providing 42 per cent quota to the BCs in the local body elections and forwarded the same to President Droupadi Murmu for her consent. The government was waiting for the Presidential nod for the last four months but no positive response has been received till the date. Sources said that the government would pursue the issue of BC quota in the local bodies seriously with the Centre seeking its active intervention before the notification for elections is issued by the state Election Commission. The Telangana Congress MPs are likely to knock on the door of the Rastrapati Bhavan and request for the approval of the President to the pending issue.

On the other hand, the ruling Congress will take up a campaign on 42 per cent BC quota in the local bodies simultaneously and mount pressure on the ruling BJP party in the state and national level. “The main poll agenda will be BC quota and the Centre’s reluctance to give its consent during the election period. The BC population constituted more than 50 per cent and hence the Congress is eying to derive political advantage by keeping alive the issue till the end of all local body elections”.

The Congress already announced that the party will allot 42 per cent seats to BCs if the act did not come into force. Leaders said that the implementation of the welfare and development programs already drew positive response from people and the BC quota will help to consolidate the vote bank for Congress in the local body elections.