The importance of Madigas Premium

Parties in Telangana are taking calculated decisions and risks to win the Madiga vote

The rivalry between the Malas and Madigas, sub-castes among the Scheduled Castes (SCs) in Telangana, has come to the fore yet again after political parties, especially the Congress, announced candidates for the general elections.

The Madigas constitute 59.52% of the SCs in the State, whereas the Malas constitute 28.11%. But when the Congress announced its candidates for the three SC reserved parliamentary constituencies in Telangana – Peddapalli, Nagarkurnool, and Warangal — there was no Madiga name on the list.

The Congress seems to have taken a calculated risk by naming two Mala candidates for the Nagarkurnool and Peddapalli seats, which have Madiga voters in sizeable numbers. Dr. Mallu Ravi, Special Representative of the State government in New Delhi, is the Congress candidate from Nagarkurnool. He is the elder brother of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.

Gaddam Vamshi Krishna, an industrialist, is testing his political fortunes from the Peddapalli Lok Sabha seat, which was once represented by his grandfather and former Union Minister, Gaddam Venkataswamy, and father, Dr. Gaddam Vivekananda.

For the Warangal seat, the Congress has chosen Dr. Kadiyam Kavya, daughter of senior Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari. Ms. Kavya, who switched to the grand old party last month much to the chagrin of the BRS, belongs to the non-Madiga–Bandla community.

The Congress argues that it has chosen candidates based on their winnability and popularity. But this has not cut much ice with the Madigas, who are upset at what they see as a complete side-lining of the community.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the BRS have allotted tickets to Madiga candidates and are trying to project the government led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy as “anti-Madiga”.