KCR will meet PM modi for nod on Muslim quota

KCR will urge Prime Minister Modi to support the state’s bid to increase the present reservations in educational institutions and government jobs from 50% to 62% immediately, and from 68% to 70% in the next six months, sources in the Chief Minister’s Office told The Sunday Guardian.

The PM’s support is essential for KCR to ensure that his government’s reservation policy sees the light of the day by yearend. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi government had promised to enhance the reservation quota to not only Muslims, but also the Schedule Tribes, Scheduled Castes, and Other Backward Classes. This meeting will also decide the political equations between the two leaders.

Opposition parties—Congress, TDP and MIM—have lent support to the quota move, but BJP, which has five MLAs in a House of 119 members, protested reservation for Muslims on the ground that it would lead to communal polarisation of society. The BJP argued the move was against the spirit of the Constitution, which opposes quota on religious grounds.

CM KCR needs the Centre’s support to ensure Presidential assent as the total quota crosses 50%, and to include the law in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution for legal protection.

KCR would need the Centre to defend it before the Supreme Court as the issue of limiting quota to 50% is currently before it.  The CM, who wants to consolidate his position among the Muslims, SC/STs and OBCs in the run up to the next general elections, has also directed the state BCs Commission to recommend revised (higher) reservations to SCs and OBCs by the end of October, so that their share too would be enhanced by the yearend.

KCR is planning to enhance the present 29% reservations to OBCs by 6-7%, while that of the SCs by 1-2%, taking the total reservation in the state from 68% to 70%.

As of now, SCs have 16%, while OBCs have 29% reservations. The quota hike will be in tune with the increase in the percentage of these people in the overall population after Andhra Pradesh’s bifurcation.

CM KCR tried to read some support from PM Modi’s speech at the BJP’s national executive at Bhubaneswar on 16 April, in which he advocated the uplift of the backward sections among the Muslims.

The PM was referring to the recent bill in Parliament according Constitutional status to National OBCs Commission. KCR interpreted the PM’s speech as an endorsement of enhanced reservations to Muslims in Telangana.

“The CM is now confident of convincing the PM about the need to increase the quota for Muslims in Telangana from 4% to 12% based on their backwardness in social, educational and economic spheres. The PM’s Bhubaneswar speech is a good sign for us,” said TRS MLC and government whip, Palla Rajeswar Reddy while talking to this newspaper.

However, BJP leaders in Telangana have refuted the interpretation and maintained that uplifting Muslims educationally and socially is one thing and offering them reservation on religious grounds was another thing. “The CM has misrepresented the PM’s speech at Bhubaneswar and there is no confusion in our stand,” said state BJP president K. Laxman.

The TRS leaders are optimistic about the Centre’s cooperation.

“Our CM has also passed the GST Bill in the 16 April Assembly session and is with the Centre on all major issues.” said Deputy CM Mahmood Ali.