Hyderabad: Medak MP Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao has challenged Congress leaders to a public debate on their track record with BC reservation, accusing the party of misleading Telangana’s voters.
At a press meet in Sangareddy, Rao invited PCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud and Government Whip Adi Srinivas to a face-to-face discussion. “Let’s compare data what BJP has done for BCs in 45 years, and what Congress has done. I’ll show the numbers. Let them do the same. I’m ready, any time, any place,” he said.
He questioned why the Congress cabinet included only three BC ministers, despite OBCs making up 56% of Telangana’s population. “Congress appointed 250 Chief Ministers since independence. Just 43 came from OBC backgrounds. That’s only 17%,” he stated.
Meanwhile, BJP, he said, appointed 21 OBCs out of 68 Chief Ministers—nearly one-third.
Rao noted that Prime Minister Modi’s cabinet includes 21 OBC ministers, compared to just two under former PM Manmohan Singh. Among NDA-ruled states, five Chief Ministers are OBCs, while other leaders represent minority and marginalised communities.
He further said BJP made historic appointments by elevating leaders from Dalit and marginalised groups to the Presidency.
In Telangana, one of the two Union cabinet posts was given to an OBC. “If Congress truly believes in BC upliftment, let them rework the state cabinet to reflect it,” he said.
