Routed in the recent bypolls and in utter disarray in the run-up to 2014 elections, the Telugu Des-am is planning to support categorisation of Schedu-led Castes into ‘ABCD groups’, to ensure reserv-ation on the basis of their population, in a bid to woo the majority Madiga community in the state.
Significantly, while most people from the Madiga community live in Telan-gana region, the TD is also learnt to be planning to clear its stand on the Telangana issue by reviving the party’s 2008 resolution supporting statehood for the region and asking the Centre to take a decision on it.
“The party will support categorisation of SCs and also come out with a clear stand on Telangana, like the 2008 resolution," a senior TD leader, who is also part of party president N. Chandrababu Naidu’s think-tank team, confirmed to this newspaper.
The party was recently also seen making an attempt to woo the BC community by declaring that it would put up BC candidates in 100 seats in 2014 Assembly elections.
According to sources in TD, Mr Naidu has begun a dialogue with SC leaders in the party belonging to both Madiga and Mala communities, and a decision will be announced soon. Though Mala leaders are opposed to it, Mr Naidu is trying to placate them, the sources added.
The party had earlier backed sub-categorisation in the 15-per cent reservations for SCs in the state.
The Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi has been fighting for categorisation of SCs into A, B, C and D groups. The group claims that Madigas, with a population of 80 lakh out of 1.23 crore SCs in the state, will benefit from categorisation.