Hyderabad, May 2 (UNI) Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud, Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, and a delegation of Telangana Congress BC leaders met Governor Jishnu Dev Verma at Raj Bhavan on Friday and expressed their gratitude for approving the bill that provides 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in political representation and educational opportunities.

The bill, passed by both houses of the Telangana Legislature on April 8, was approved by the Governor and subsequently forwarded to the President for assent.

Among the Congress leaders who visited the Raj Bhavan were former MPs V Hanumantha Rao and Anjan Kumar Yadav, Rajya Sabha member Anil Kumar Yadav, MLCs Baswaraju Saraiah, Dande Vitthal, Vijayashanti, Narayana, government whips Adi Srinivas and Birla Ilaiyya, MLAs Danam Nagender, Vakati Srihari, Makkana Singh Raj Thakur, Irlapalli Shankar, Prakash Goud, along with several corporation chairpersons and other key party leaders.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud said Telangana has become the first state in the country to conduct a caste census. He credited Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's leadership and the Kamareddy Declaration for the legal implementation of the 42 per cent BC reservation.

He further stated that this move aligns with Rahul Gandhi’s long-standing vision, adding that the Centre’s recent announcement to conduct a caste census along with the population census marks a significant political victory for the Congress and Rahul Gandhi.

“This is a moment of pride for Telangana. The BJP-led Centre is now looking to the Telangana model, and Rahul Gandhi’s ambition for social justice has taken a major step forward,” Goud added.

UNI VV PRS