At a meeting of the Adivasi Congress on Sunday, leaders said that tribals in Telangana will ensure that all the 12 reserved seats for Scheduled Tribes will be in the Congress kitty like in Karnataka, where all the 15 seats were bagged by them.
The meeting attended by Shivaji Rao Moge, chairman of the AICC Adivasi Congress, and senior leaders, including AICC in-charge of TS Manikrao Thakre, former Union Minister Balaram Naik, AICC secretary Rohit Chaudhary, Bellaiah Naik and Ramulu Naik, among others, came to the conclusion that “tribals were cheated by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and they are ready to teach him a befitting lesson in the next elections”.
Mr. Shivaji Rao Moge said that Congress was the only party that stood behind them all these years and created numerous schemes for their upliftment. Any scheme in any State of the country for tribals was the brainchild of the Congress, including providing land to them and rights over forest land.
Mr. Bellaih Naik said that tribals can decide the fate of candidates in 79 constituencies in Telangana and all of them were looking at the Congress to defeat the BRS. Congress was the only party that provided political opportunities for tribals even in general seats and this would repeat in Telangana elections if tribal candidates were accommodated in other seats.
He said that the CM was trying to mislead the tribals with hollow promises and the long pending demand of complete rights over forest lands would be given by the Congress government only. He also alleged that the tribals were not getting their share in any of the welfare schemes in Telangana, including double bedroom houses.
Former Union Minister Balaram Naik reminded that it was the Congress that brought in the SC and ST sub-plan providing funds as per the population of SCs and tribals, which was abolished by KCR. He also accused the Chief Minister of creating a rift between the tribals and Dalits, instead of ensuring that they get priority in welfare schemes.
