Telangana govt conducts study ahead of local body polls: 'Backward class population estimated at 55-57%'

CM Revanth Reddy said elections to the local bodies, including gram panchayats, zilla parishads, and mandal parishads, will be held soon.

A recent survey conducted by the Congress in Telangana stated that the backward classes comprise 55-57% of the state’s population, according to a report by Times of India. It is higher than the reported estimate of about 52%.

According to TOI, the survey report was submitted to the dedicated Backward Classes commission recently. In the survey, over 10% of households in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) were not covered. This accounts for approximately 3.2 lakh households out of a total of 29 lakh households in the GHMC area. The state overall has approximately 1.25 crore households. The TOU report stated that there is significant disparity between urban and rural areas concerning survey participation. Of the nearly 3.5 lakh households not surveyed, about 99% are concentrated in the GHMC area, it stated.

Sources told TOI that Chief minister A Revanth Reddy and his deputy Bhatti Vikramarka are expected to discuss the assessment soon. "This is a crucial moment for our government to ensure every community is accurately represented, paving the way for a fair and equitable society. The government may call a meeting. If it does not happen immediately, then it will be held after the CM's foreign trip," a government insider told TOI.

As per the TOI report, the findings will help the state government to determine reservation policy and to reach out to communities that have historically lacked representation in jobs and in political spaces.

The CM recently said that elections to the local bodies, including gram panchayats, zilla parishads, and mandal parishads, will be conducted soon. He urged party leaders and workers to gear up for the elections and work towards securing a resounding victory for the Congress.

BRS MLC K Kavitha recently called for urgent implementation of the Congress government’s unfulfilled promises to the Backward Classes (BCs). She demanded that the government expedite the BC declaration and election manifesto commitments, including establishing a separate ministry for Most Backward Classes (MBCs).