Kavitha threatens to block census operations over OBC column demand

K. Kavitha | Photo Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR

Telangana Rakshana Sena (TRS) chief Kalvakuntla Kavitha threatened to block census operations in Telangana if the State government fails to secure a dedicated Other Backward Classes (OBC) column with a standardised caste-coding mechanism in the upcoming nationwide census.

Addressing a meeting organised by the All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) and the Telangana BC Rights Forum here, she demanded that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy get a resolution passed in the State Assembly calling for a separate OBC column in the census.

The meeting, attended by BC leaders from across the country's adopted nine resolutions under the Hyderabad OBC Declaration, including a nationwide caste census, unique codes for every caste, proportional representation for OBCs in education, employment and politics, and the removal of the 50% ceiling on reservations.

She alleged that the Union government was undermining the interests of OBCs claiming that less than ₹2,000 crore out of the Union government’s budget of about ₹50 lakh crore was allocated to OBCs.

Ms. Kavitha argued that the absence of a standardised coding system could lead to castes being fragmented, undercounted or left unclassified across States, affecting their access to opportunities and benefits.

Professor Suraj Mandal of Delhi University referred to the rejection of 36% reservations in local bodies by the Andhra Pradesh High Court, the impasse over 42% BC reservations in Telangana and what he described as a lack of OBC representation among Supreme Court judges and Prime Minister’s Office officials.

Dharmendra Kushwaha, an OBC Maharashtra leader; Sunil Varma, president of the SC, ST, OBC and Minority Sangh in Uttar Pradesh; and representatives of OBC organisations from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam, Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan also attended the meeting.

They included Thiru Rathna Sabapathy, president of the Party for the Rights of OBCs in Tamil Nadu; Yejjurappa, coordinator of the OBC Federation in Karnataka; Umesh Korram of the Sakala OBC Mahasabha; Professor Gitika of Cotton College, Assam; Razia Bibi of the OBC Association, Kerala; Bansi Lal and Neelam Kumari of the OBC Mahasabha, Jammu & Kashmir; and Vishwajeet Ratoniya of the OBC United Front, Rajasthan.

The Hyderabad OBC Declaration called for a nationwide caste census with a separate OBC column and unique codes for individual castes. It demanded representation in education, employment and politics in proportion to population, 50% reservations for BCs based on the estimated 52% BC population in the 1931 Census, and removal of the 50% reservation ceiling.

Published - October 28, 2026 07:20 pm IST