By IANS,
Hyderabad : Andhra Pradesh state legislative assembly Friday unanimously passed a resolution urging the central government to provide 33 percent reservation to backward classes in the legislative bodies.
Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy moved the resolution, which was supported by the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and all other opposition parties.
“This house unanimously resolves to recommend to government of India to provide 33 percent reservation to the backward classes in the constituencies of Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly and to bring necessary amendments to the Constitution of India,” reads the resolution.
Following the demand from TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu, the resolution was amended to add parliament to it. Naidu recalled that a similar resolution was passed by the house in 1996 and demanded that the government do the necessary follow-up.
The state cabinet had earlier this month decided to table a resolution to urge the central government to bring about a legislation providing for one-third reservation for BCs.
The move is an attempt by the ruling Congress party to reach out to BCs ahead of the assembly and Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be held in March next year. The government’s justification for this move is that the BCs who constitute over 50 per cent of the state’s population, must be provided their due share in the law-making bodies.
The ruling party, however, this was a political move aimed at neutralising the possible impact of superstar Chiranjeevi’s new party.