Nellore:TDP senior leader, party district president and MLC Beeda Ravichandra asserted that the development and political empowerment of Backward Classes (BCs) is possible only under the TDP. Welcoming the state government’s decision to provide 34 per cent reservation for BCs in rural areas and 33.3 per cent in urban areas, Ravichandra described it as a historic step. Addressing a press conference at the TDP office here on Friday, he said the decision was not merely about reservations but was aimed at ensuring social dignity and political empowerment for BC communities. Ravichandra said the TDP deserved credit for politically empowering BCs and challenged the YSRCP to a debate on its contribution to the community. He recalled that former Chief Minister and TDP founder N T Rama Rao had introduced reservations for BCs, describing it as a pioneering initiative in the country. He said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Education Minister Nara Lokesh were continuing NTR’s legacy.

He noted that BC leaders had headed the TDP’s State unit during the past 12 years. Referring to the Deputy Chief Minister’s post, he said Pawan Kalyan was given the position based on the collective decision of the alliance partners. He alleged that the five Deputy Chief Ministers appointed by the previous YSRCP government had little real power. Ravichandra accused the YSRCP of obstructing BC reservations and alleged that nearly 16,800 BC leaders lost positions during its rule. He also claimed that around 70,000 backlog posts remained unfilled. He thanked Chandrababu Naidu for initiating the latest reservation measures.