Ahead of the Telangana polls that are scheduled to take place on November 30, Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would reallocate the four percent Muslim community reservation to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.

“We will do away with the four per cent reservation for Muslims and we will give those to SCs. OBCs, and STs,” Amit Shah said while campaigning at Telangana’s Jagtial on Monday. Shah also announced reservations for the Madiga community in Telangana under the SC category.

“We have decided that the Madiga community will get vertical quota in reservation under the SC category,” he added.

Shah claimed that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao does not celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day because he is afraid of Asaduddin Owaisi, the leader of the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).

"Should we not celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day to remember our liberation from the Razakars? Fearing Owaisi, KCR does not celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day. But we do not fear Owaisi. We will celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day as a State day in Telangana once we form the government here," the Union Minister said.

Shah went on to criticize KCR and Owaisi, saying, "Their election symbol is a car. But its steering is neither with KCR nor KTR nor Kavitha, it is with Owaisi. Can Telangana's car run properly in his hands?"

Shah praised the accomplishments of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the central government, saying, "PM Modi has taken India's tiranga aboard the Chandrayaan and taken it to the moon. Modi has built the new Parliament. Modi has organised the G20 summit and raised India's stature throughout the world. Modi has taken India's economic size from 11th rank to fifth."

Telangana's Assembly elections are scheduled on November 30. The election results for Telangana and the other four states that will be attending polls will be tallied on December 3.

Amit Shah also promised free trips to Ayodhya once the BJP came to power in the state.

The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), formerly known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), secured 88 of the 119 seats in the last Assembly election in 2018, accounting for 47.4% of the overall vote share. With only 19 seats, the Congress finished in a far second place.

Image source: Times of India