Back 42% quota: Telangana BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar to BRS & BJP

HYDERABAD: BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Monday urged BJP leaders from the BC community-Union minister Bandi Sanjay and MPs K Laxman, D Aravind, Eatala Rajender, and R Krishnaiah-to ensure that the Telangana governor approves the ordinance granting 42% reservations to BCs in local bodies.

"We are ready to go with you to Delhi. Convince the President to approve the bill and urge the PM to include it in the Ninth Schedule," Ponnam said at Gandhi Bhavan. He appealed to BJP and BRS to support this '100-year-old dream' of BCs. He criticised Laxman for questioning the Congress's intent. "If BJP could give 10% EWS quota, why didn't it raise BC reservations beyond 50%?" he asked, accusing BJP and BRS of being two sides of the same coin.

The minister said the Congress delayed panchayat polls by 18 months to ensure legal BC quota.