It was a festival of lights for the BJP when thousands, who gathered at the Parade Ground in Secunderabad, switched on the flashlights on their mobile phones at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, November 11.
The audience comprised mostly members of the Madiga community, brought in by the BJP in an orchestrated move to win and consolidate minority votes. Billed as “Madigas Viswaroopa Mahasabha”, the event provided the perfect platform for the BJP to reach out to the Madiga community.
Though the event was said to be held by the Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS), the BJP was the behind-the-scene organiser. The party office issued entry passes to the event in which a visibly emotional Manda Krishna Madiga of the MRPS rubbed shoulders with the prime minister, Union ministers, and other senior BJP leaders.
Scheduled Castes (SCs) comprise about 18 per cent of Telangana's population. Madigas are the prominent community among the SCs. However, Madigas were complaining that the benefits of reservation in jobs and educational institutions have been going to the Malas, another community.
The MRPS have been demanding the sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes to provide reservation based on the population of each community. Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Modi assured to form a committee to look into the MRPS demand, a vexed issue under the consideration of the Supreme Court.
"I will be with you," Modi assured the community.
The prime minister held Krishna Madiga closer as the latter broke down in tears while explaining the plight of the Madigas. Modi briefly paused his speech midway as a woman climbed an electric pole, demanding an immediate announcement on the sub-categorized reservation.
Incidentally, Modi was the first prime minister to attend a Madiga event.
Telangana has a Madiga population of about 46 lakh. Though the community does not have a majority in any of the 119 assembly constituencies, it can be a force that could influence the poll outcome. The community had earlier alternated between the BRS and the Congress.
The BJP has been trying to woo the community, and it even announced a Dalit chief minister if it comes to power. Meanwhile, the BRS and the Congress have been maintaining that the Madigas would not totally support the BJP.
Both BRS and Congress have Madiga leaders and candidates contesting the November 30 polls to the Telangana legislative assembly.
