A delegation of BC leaders, led by BC Welfare Association national president and TDP MLA R. Krishnaiah yesterday met YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy seeking his help in getting 50 per cent reservation to Backward Classes in legislature bodies. They requested Jagan to write to the Prime Minister in support of their demand. They wanted all political parties to mount pressure on the Centre to move a BC Bill providing Constitutional rights to the BCs in getting 50 per cent reservation in the legislatures.
Later, Krishnaiah said though 60 per cent population of the country belong to Backward Classes, they have only 15 per cent political reservation. There were only 277 MPs belonging to BC in the both Houses of Parliament which has a strength of 542 members. Of the total strength of 277 MPs, four Backward Class MPs are from Andhra Pradesh and two MPs from Telangana, he said, adding that Andhra Pradesh Assembly has only 32 Backward Class MLAs where as it should have had 90 members as per the ratio of population. In Telangana, instead of 60 MLAs, there were only 19 MLAs belonging to BC. He also revealed that 18 States have no BC MPs. There was a need to introduce a Bill in Parliament providing for constitutional rights to BCs, he said. (NSS)