BENGALURU: With next year’s assembly elections in mind and in response to BJP’s caste-based conventions, Congress has decided to hold a rally of SCs and STs in Chitradurga on January 8.
The party plans to mobilise around five lakh people from SC and ST communities and get either former AICC president Sonia Gandhi or Rahul to attend. G Parameshwara, former KPCC president, told reporters that the ‘SC, ST Unity Rally’ is being organised to bring all 101 subsects of SCs and 52 subsects of STs on a single platform and to send a message to both communities that Congress will always be with them.
“Some parties are trying to mislead SCs and STs and divide them,” he said.
Referring to BJP’s efforts to reap political benefit from its decision to hike reservation quota for SCs by 2% and STs by 4%, Parameshwarasaid: “It is Congress which began the process of increasing reservation by forming a committee under Justice Nagamohan Das to study the demand. By the time the committee gave its report, our government fell. If we had continued in office, we would have implemented it. ”
But Congress’ rally is largely being seen as a counter to BJP’s ongoing caste and community-based rallies. BJP has already held an OBC rally in Kalaburagi and a rally of STs in Ballari. A rally of SCs will be held in Mysuru.
Congress is also planning an OBC rally in Shivamogga under the leadership of former MLA Madhu Bangarappa in February-March.
After the hike in reservation for SCs and STs, the mood in the BJP is upbeat as the party thinks the decision would help it in assembly elections. Both communities together account for more than 20% of the state’s electorate. This has left Congress worried and the January 8 rally is being seen as an effort to prevent BJP from taking all the credit.
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