Hyderabad: The ruling Congress is planning to book a special train to facilitate various Backward Classes (BC) association leaders, activists, and community members to go to New Delhi to exert pressure on the Centre and meet President Droupadi Murmu, seeking approval of the two BC reservation Bills.BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar appealed to all the BC welfare association leaders and activists to come to the national capital to participate in a show of strength of the BC community and its demand for an enhanced quota at Jantar Mantar during one of the three days of chief minister A Revanth Reddy-led delegation’s three-day visit to New Delhi from August 5.Ponnam told TOI that the proposal to book a special train to New Delhi is under active consideration. Though a final decision would be taken by chief minister A Revanth Reddy with senior ministers, TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud, and AICC in charge of Telangana Meenakshi Natarajan, he said there was also a proposal that MLAs and MLCs, along with important leaders of the party, would travel in the special train or book additional coaches. Several logistics were involved in making such a move, thus, a final decision would be taken in two to three days depending upon various factors, he said.As the dates of Revanth-led team’s three-day tour of New Delhi were clashing with those of padayatra by Meenakshi Natarajan and TPCC president Mahesh Goud, there was a possibility of the padayatra being rescheduled by one or two days. While the first phase of padayatra, covering six combined districts starts on July 31 and concludes on August 6, as against the CM’s tour on August 5, 6, and 7 to the national capital, Goud and Meenakshi would meet Revanth and take a call on rescheduling or not. The padayatra would be held for 10 km every day, followed by Shramadan.Mahesh Goud told TOI that they would meet the CM and also discuss the nominated posts to be filled up in various corporations in the govt. “Congress district in charges, vice-presidents, general secretaries, and district committee presidents submitted two names each from each of the 119 assembly constituencies to Meenakshi Natarajan on Tuesday. Social justice will be followed in the appointment of chairpersons and directors to various corporations, with priority being given to BCs, SCs, STs, minorities, and women. Also, priority will be given to candidates aged below 50 years. We will meet the CM in two to three days,” he said.The TPCC president slammed BRS MLC K Kavitha for shedding crocodile tears for the BCs and demanded that she inform the people why she did not take up the cause of the BCs during the BRS 10 years govt. “No one will trust Kavitha. The Congress govt passed two bills for a 42% quota to the BCs. The then BC welfare minister Gangula Kamalakar, in the previous BRS govt, did not say anything when the KCR govt reduced the BC quota for local body elections,” he said.
